The Booth and Brennan Shuffle
by Coilerfan35
Summary: So, this is going to be a collection of one shots and drabbles that are written to what ever song my iPod wants to give me. That's right, this is my little challenge fic. A couple smutty chapters...but not many, so far.
1. Your Love Is My Drug

**An: So, I saw this on another story, and I thought it would be a fun little challenge, for me to put my iPod on shuffle, and write a fic for what ever song I got. I wanted to start with 'Your Love Is My Drug' by Ke$ha, just for the soul fact that it was relatively easy, and I've been rocking out to that song for a while now. Hehe!**_

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_I don't care what people say,  
The rush is worth the price I pay,  
I get so high when you're with me,  
But crash and crave you when you leave._

Once word was spread of the happenstance between them, she received pitiful looks from every pair of eyes that turned towards her for weeks. She knew they wanted to say something, but also knew it would be inappropriate to voice their opinion. So she soon grew angry with them quickly, and would stow herself away in either or office or in limbo for hours on end.

They didn't understand why she did what she did, and sometimes she didn't either, but it was when she would constantly be thinking while she was angry, when she finally realized her intentions.

She cared for him. Immensely, and she knew all too well that people left. Especially the people you cared about the most; and she was sure she wouldn't be able to live normally for months; maybe even years; if he left her.

So, to keep him with her, she had to break his heart, even though the heart is a muscle, and can only be crushed.

It was selfish, and she wasn't proud of what she did, but it would be better for both of them.

He could still be a part of her life, and he'll be able to get over her, and move on, to find someone who will love him for thirty, forty, or fifty years.

Because she knew for a proven fact, if they entered any sort of relationship he wanted, she would turn it to hell, and she'd loose him. Her partner, her best friend; the one person that meant the most to her in her life.

She hated that she hurt him, and she regretted bringing that pain upon him every second of her life, but the last thing she could do was loose him.

She would sacrifice herself just to have the happiness float through her when she got to see his gentle chocolate eyes, his soft smile, the small twinkle in his eyes when she shared something completely and utterly personal.

He plowed his way into her life, and now she would be damned if she pushed him so far from herself that he was forced to turn and leave her.

She would keep him at arm's length…like he tried to do at her reunion…the only bother of that analogy being that, eventually, they were pressed chest to chest, stomach to stomach, heart to heart. Her arms tight around his neck; her face buried in his shoulder, while his arms remained tight around her body, his cheek against her head as he held her tight to him. Just because of a few small tears, and a single, personal, high school story.


	2. I'll Run

**An: Here's the next installment guys. :) I decided I was most likely going to post a new one everyday...and I have over 730 songs on my iPod...so...We have a long way to go. XD**_

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I can hear it in your voice, you care;  
Let me run my fingers through your hair;  
I'll keep you company at night;  
And baby I'm here to make this right.

_-I'll Run (The Cab)_

"Booth," she whispered when she opened the door and found his sunken eyes staring into hers. He was tattered, and looked completely and utterly tired as he just stood there, and looked into her bright blue eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," he said simply, reaching out his drunken hand, and placing it on the threshold to stabilize himself.

"I…I don't know what you mean," Brennan murmured, reaching out and holding his hand, bringing it from the doorjamb and tugging him inside. "Please, come in and sit down."

He allowed her to lead him, but didn't allow her to leave the second he sat down. His hand remained in hers, even when she tried to pull away.

She looked down at him with a confused look, but eventually relaxed, and stayed where she was. His thumb continuously passed over the back of her hand, the intimate gesture sending a small shock of pleasure up her spine.

His eyes never left her hand, and she grew anxious, and shifted on her feet, eventually kneeling down in front of him and reaching out to gently touch the side of his face. "Booth, please tell me what happened?"

"You know what happened Bones," he answered, his eyes turning to hers, and bringing sadness to their blue depths when she saw the tears settled just under his eye lids.

"I…I'm afraid…I…don't…"

"That's exactly what happened," Booth muttered, allowing a single tear to slide down his cheek, and onto her hand. "You were afraid, and just…annihilated everything."

"Annihilated?" she asked, her voice raising an octave and making its way well to hysterical, her head shaking violently in misunderstanding. "What the hell are you talking about?"

His hands quickly left hers and moved to frame her face, bringing her so close to him that they traded breaths. "I'm talking about us," he whispered tenderly, his thumbs stroking her skin under her eyes. "I'm taking about us Bones. This thing that we've been doing…moving on…not only is it impossible, it's…wrong. We belong together, I know that, and everyone else who has ever encountered us knows that. It's common sense."

"C-Common sense?" Brennan whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks in hysteria, her hands trying to push him away to remain her sanity. "This isn't common sense. Something this painful, and confusing, and draining, cannot be associated with common sense."

"It's common sense not to run in front of a car in traffic," Booth pointed out quietly "but if you do out of your own stupidity; it hurts. Could even kill you…and Bones that's how it feels now. I feel like every single part of me is being drained out. I feel like I'm dying."

"Booth, that's only a chemical reaction of-"

He silenced her by pressing his lips to hers, and kissing her silent, holding her face to his even when her hands softened against his chest, and she seemingly fell into him.

Even though she tasted alcohol on his love driven tongue, she allowed him to wrap his arms around her back, and pull her into his lap before framing her face with his hands again.

Their tongues fought with their partner, their breathing becoming labored and hot against each other's skin, until they eventually pulled apart, and their foreheads pressed together.

"Bones…that was chemistry in its finest, are you willing to throw this…connection…we have away because you're scared? I'm here to make things right," he stated, reaching up and running his fingers through her hair. "And I want to ask you for only one thing."

She was breathless, and her lips moved silently before she actually spoke, and even then she could only muster four words. "And what is that?"

"_Have a little faith in me…"_


	3. The Last Night

_**AN: Love this song, would post more, but my grandfather is giving me an ultimatum, TV or Computer, and I want the TV 'cause Underworld Evolution is on. AHHHZ!**

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I just came by to say good bye  
Didn't want you to see me cry  
I'm fine  
But I know it's a lie  
This is the last night you'll spend alone  
Look me in the eyes so I know you know  
I'm everywhere you want me to be  
The last night you'll spend alone  
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go  
I'm everything, you need me to be

_-The Last Night (Skillet)_

She appeared in his office, late at night, with tears streaked down her face, completely silent, except for the small catch in her throat, and the sniffle emitting from her nose.

He looked up at that time, and felt his breath leave him, like someone punched him straight in the gut, and he rose quickly to his feet, walking over to her and immediately holding her face in his hands, despite the intimacy the gesture might hold.

"Bones, baby, what happened? Why are you crying?" he asked softly, using his thumbs to brush away her tears rolling against her skin.

"I…I'm fine," she whispered feebly, her hands shaking, and reaching out to grasp his shirt, despite the words she spoke.

"No, no Bones. You aren't fine, please, what happened?"

"I let him back into my life," she whimpered, immediately falling into his arms and bringing her face to rest on his chest, sobbing softly into his work shirt, and staining the white fabric with her tears. "I…I let him back into my life Booth…and, he…he's gone…forever."

Booth's arms wrapped tight around her, and he immediately knew what she was talking about.

Her father Max; had been having some heart problems the past few months. He had a heart attack 6 months earlier, and they found that his heart was ultimately deteriorating. They offered corrective surgery, but Max being the free spirit he was denied everything, and refused to die in a hospital bed.

The past few weeks he seemed to be spending all his time with his children. He accompanied Brennan and Booth to the dinner, and they all had one big meal at her house when Russ, Amy and the girls came down to visit everyone.

They had fun the last weeks of his life, but now he was gone, and Brennan was facing the pain of losing a parent she so graciously let into her life yet again.

"Ssh, Bones," he whispered, holding his arms tight around her and practically crushing her to his chest, as his lips passed over her hair. "Bones, you knew it was going to happen, and you got to spend the very last moments of his life with him. He didn't abandon you this time Bones, he stuck with you, like he promised, and now you have all of these fond memories of him."

"If I never let him back into my life his death wouldn't hurt this much," she exclaimed, pushing Booth away and throwing her hands hysterically into the air.

"Temperance," he growled, advancing on her, and taking her face in his hands once again, bring her eyes to look deep into his. "He was your father. No matter what, his death would have mattered. Letting him into your life allowed you to be with the family you missed so much since you were 15 years old. You reconciled with your brother, and forgave your father. Your family returned, and you got miraculous years with them before Max passed. He'll always be a part of you Bones, he's your dad. He helped create you, and you got to actually have a dad in your life, some of us don't get that lucky."

"Would you be sad if your father died?" she asked, knowing that she was only trying to get a rational example, and not put him on the spot for pain.

"Of course I would be," Booth muttered, shaking his head as his own pain settled behind his eyes. "That man was the biggest bastard known to man, but he is still my dad. I would still mourn at his grave, even after everything he did to my mother, my brother and I."

"I…" she started, but shook her head, and weakly fell into him again, wrapping her arms around his back and resting her head over his heart. "I just wish it didn't have to hurt this much."

"Every death hurts, even if we know the person or not," he spoke quietly, one hand running through her hair as the other remained locked around her back. "Death is never a happy thing, but with the people we know, we think back on the good, and remember only the fun times together, and not the bad."

"Tell me," he started after that, placing a tender, barely there kiss to her temple. "Tell me a happy story about your father."

She smiled against his chest and chuckled gently, shaking her head slightly before sighing and opening her mouth. "You knew how he was…always in trouble…always sneaky…and when I was a child he used that to his advantage many times. One day, when I was in school, he managed to move Russ' entire room onto the roof without my mother noticing. Let's just say Russ was less than pleased to see his underwear tied to one of the electrical poles."

Booth laughed against her hair, and the vibrations shook through her body, a smile crossing her lips as her tears finally stilled, and she retracted her arms from him.

"See," he whispered, his hands moving again to her face, his fingers brushing away lasting tears. "You feel better now because you remembered the positive. And Bones…I want to thank you."

"Thank me?" she asked in interest, tilting her head slightly against his hands. "For what?"

"For coming to me," he said simply "For trusting me to hold you, and help you through the tough times in your life."

"Booth," Brennan whispered, hands rising to wrap around his wrists tenderly. "I know you're the man to go to if I need held, because I know you'll hold me and won't let go if I really need you to. You're the man I trust with everything, because I know, by uncontested fact, that you are everything I need you to be."

Booth's eyes remained wide and contemplative as he took in her words, a hitch in his breathing appearing when she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek, the kiss longing and tender, in an appreciation one couldn't form in words.

She smiled and stepped away from him, whispering her thanks before she made a move to leave, but was stopped by his hand circling her arm.

He pulled her back into his chest, and hugged her once again, his arms tight around her shoulders as her head was guided to his shoulder.

"Booth, what are you doing?" she asked softly, completely relaxed and calm against the hard panes of his body.

"I'm holding you," he whispered, kissing her forehead "and you're going to spend the night at my apartment, because I think you need to this, and I'm not going to let go."


	4. She Will Love You

_**An: So, this weekend alone, I was able to fill up my document manager on here, and I am very proud of myself. :) But, to counter my good fortune, the wires in my charger snapped, and now I'm fighting to conserve the battery in my computer the best I can. I might to be alive here for a little if it dies, but I'm already using the interwebs to hunt for a new one, and my sister will most likely let me use her charger when she's at work. :) But, I still have my iPod, where I can type up documents, so if I disappear, just be waiting for a huge blow out of shit to read...:)**

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_Kiss me quick, I'm losing;  
Well, can we live forever?  
Kiss me quick, I'm losing;  
But I'm miserable still._

_She will love you through all the lies;  
She will love you through your disguise;  
She will love you through your demise;  
And sing our lives forever;  
Sing our lives together, won't you?_

_-She Will Love You (Aiden)_

He knows Catherine feels something for him, but he doesn't necessarily know what. He knows how he feels about her, and that's slowly reducing to nothing.

Yes, she's fun to spend time with, he thinks she's funny, and he thinks she's pretty, but she doesn't have that air of essence he needs, that same air he's been living for for almost six years.

In the easiest sense of saying this, she isn't Bones, and even though he knows just saying that is bringing him further backwards on his trek of 'moving on', it's the whole hearted truth, and he's soon realizing the whole hearted truth is that Bones is his one and only, and that he will once again wait for as long as she needed him to.

He will stand by her side every day and help her through the hardships of life. He'll hold her when she's sad, and he'll take care of her when she forgets to do that herself. He'll drag her from the lab when she's still working at midnight, and he'll always invite her to spend time with him, and Parker.

He would never bring Catherine around Parker, because he knew, well and true, that his relationship with her wouldn't last, and it's only a matter of time before he ends things with her.

That matter of time occurring that night during dinner.

"Catherine," he said quietly, leaning his elbows in the table. "There's something I have to tell you."

"You want to break up with me," she pointed out, a smile on her lips that obviously screamed she knew he was going to do this.

"Yes," he muttered, hanging his head for a second before looking up at her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said instantly, laughing and reaching over to place her hand on his arm. "I could kind of tell I really didn't have a chance next to Dr. Brennan."

"Dr…Oh, no, we aren't, anything…like that."

"No, but you want to be, and I can tell she does too."

"No, she doesn't," Booth immediately answered, his eyes fogging like they always did when he thought about _that_ night.

Catherine sighed and stood up, throwing her coat over her arm before she walked closer to him and placed one of her hands on his shoulder. "Trust me, women understand other women. She wants too."

"And how exactly do you know something I don't when I'm with my partner every day of my life?" he inquired, his voice light, and curious as he looked up into the light blue eyes that reminded him of Bones.

"We women are like DNA, we're very, very complicated, and only a trained eye can begin to comprehend what's going on," she explained, squeezing his shoulder and whispering "Trust me," before she turned on her heel, and departed the Founding Fathers' restaurant.

And truthfully, he trusted her. So that night he walked into the labs dark depths quietly, intent on observing his partner before making any sort of move towards her.

Standing under the shadows of the platform he saw her sitting in her office desk chair, moving a pen between her fingers as she stared deep into space, her eyes glazed over and a look of pain crossed her face.

"What's wrong Bones?" he asked quietly, smiling apologetically when she jumped, and glared at him darkly.

"Jesus Booth, do you have to do that?" Brennan breathed out, sitting back in her chair and running her hands over her face.

"Sorry, it's just instinct," he brushed off, walking to the side of her desk, and leaning on the side. "So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind?"

"Nothing," she whispered, looking up at him and smiling sadly, her eyes quickly averting from him "I'm just…thinking."

"Now, normally, if I said that, you would say that you can't just think, just like you can't stop thinking. Something specific has to be on your mind Bones," Booth explained, his knee bumping the side of her leg teasingly.

"You're a very confusing man Booth," she stated, smiling up at him and absentmindedly reaching over to brush the back of her knuckles across his knee.

"Is that what you've been thinking of?" he asked, moving his knee a fraction closer to her.

"Among other things," Brennan admitted, sighing and standing up, running her fingers through her hair before she gathered up the files sitting on her desk.

"I sense some inner turmoil that deserves a guy hug," Booth whispered, plastering on his charm smile and opening his arms.

"You don't need to use your charm smile on me Booth," was the only thing she spoke in response, a small glint of something in her eyes before she stepped into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder.

Her arms came around his back and settled there, her tense muscles finally relaxing as she leaned against his chest, and closed her eyes calmly.

Soft sighs of contentment left her lips, and Booth took his own steps forward by running his fingers once through her hair, before pressing his lips to her forehead lovingly. "And Bones…you know you don't have to use your science on me right?"

Her cheek never left his shoulder, but she glanced up at him and smiled. "I know that Booth, I very rarely compartmentalize you anymore."

Booth's smile widened, if that was even possible; and he pressed his lips to her forehead again, knowing that her confession meant she was her whole self with him.

Open…caring…loving.

That single confession that left her lips was her unconscious way of telling him she loved him, and that she'll always love him. Even if she was aware of it or not.

Kiss me quick, I'm losing;  
Well, can we live forever?  
Kiss me quick, I'm losing;  
But I'm miserable still.


	5. Hell To Sell

_**An: I told my friend divine529 on facebook this, and I'm going to repeat it again for the soul reason that it is true, has always been true, and will ALWAYS be true.**_

_**Always leave it to The Audition ;)**_

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I can show, if you want to know, exactly how to say her name;  
To make her scream and shout, but not from pain.  
Ecstasy is all that she'll see when you kiss her lightly,  
It's frightening,  
There is no room for sparks,  
Show her lightning.

_-Hell to Sell (The Audition)_

Close proximity is a downfall in every aspect.

Stand too close to a fire, and you get burned. Lean to close to a chemistry experiment and you could lose your eyes, if not kill yourself. Get to close to a serial killer, and you're life is on the line.

Both Booth and Brennan were very aware of those facts, arresting multiple serial killers in their time as partners, but they never thought the same dangers could apply to their personal relationship.

It was one night. A normal night. A night where nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the palpable tension making breathing harder and harder with each second.

She attracted him, with large doe eyes, and beautiful curves his hands so ached to trace; and he attracted her, with his all of his symmetrical features, but just like a serial killer, a fire, or a chemistry experiment, potential pain could never be that easy.

They would never be able to just sleep with the other and walk away perfectly fine, their life immediately going back to normal. No, Booth was a heart man, he wanted everything, all the time, and settled for nothing less. While Brennan remained overly rational, and strove to only satisfy biological urges…that was…until she fantasized about Booth.

She pictured his incredibly toned body hovering over hers, his mouth hot and wet against her skin as his work calloused hands scratched deliriously across her smooth, and arousal sensitive skin.

She shivered at the thought and narrowed her eyes when she found Booth staring at her with a small smirk on her lips. "What?" she asked, her voice soft, but husky.

"What are you thinking about there Bones?" he asked, leaning back and bringing his hands behind his head, a cocky look in his eyes as he caught that dark glint in her eyes he was growing familiar with.

"Nothing," she brushed off coolly, walking over and handing a condensing beer to her partner, the chill from the bottle doing nothing to sooth her heated skin.

He smirked and popped the cap off, waiting for her to sit down and do the same before he clanked his bottle with hers, and they downed their gulps, Brennan's being more desperate, while Booth's was conserved, and more like a 'sip' if nothing else.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she sat silent, staring forward with her beer bottle clasped tight in her hand, the soft golden liquid easily disappearing from the dark brown bottle, and stirring Brennan forward; sending her to stand and retrieve another, before taking her seat beside Booth again.

She was on edge, and Booth knew her better than anyone. They had both been eye fucking each other for the past few weeks. It got almost unbearable to stand in the same room with her, her clothes becoming slightly more revealing, but the subtleties were only caught on by him, because he knew, they were directly for his pleasure.

He needed to break her, quick, before she broke herself, and his fingers brushed up his beer bottle, gathering the cold beads of water on his fingertips before he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear.

"Something bothering you today Bones?" His voice was a husky growl, and she shivered violently, her crossed legs tightening to the point her bones ached.

His cold, wet fingers brushed down the extremely heated skin behind her ear, and her eyes closed, a soft moan escaping her lips, that became quickly covered by a shocked hand.

One of his hands reached over and cupped her hip, his hot mouth coming to hover over her cooling skin. He breathed out against the cold trails, before placing his lips against her neck, kissing, and suckling tenderly, the stimulation sending her body into a pleasured over drive.

She squirmed against his hand, trying so hard to remain her composure, her hand still clasped over her mouth, but doing nothing to stifle the small whimpers, and not so small moans escaping past her lips.

His hand at her hip rolled down her leg, his fingers immediately touching skin barely covered by the black pencil skirt, and he hooked his fingers under her knees, turning her towards him, and bringing her further into his chest.

She shivered and reached out to him, holding onto him despite the tension in her body, and the thoughts running through her mind that screamed "STOP!"

But his fingers trailed up her arm, leaving goose bumps in wake, before his fingers curled around her wrist, and pulled her hand from her mouth. He brought his own mouth to hover over hers, a whole new reaction eliciting from the anticipation.

Angela explained that, when you love someone, or have chemistry with someone, you feel 'sparks' before your lips touch with theirs, and your chest seems to warm.

This was nowhere close.

Her chest felt like it was burning, and that soon her sternum would crack, and splint through the flesh surrounding the bone.

And the hover of his lips was like a thunder clap; a natural warning of more to come. A warning she took no heed upon, and made her own initiative to crash their lips together, her consequences pending.

Just like standing to close to the fire, you get burned.

Just like bending over, and observing too close to a chemistry experiment, you get hurt.

Just like getting close to a serial killer, you're life is threatened.

And just like the 'thunder clap' warned, the second their pair of smooth lips slid together, and their tongues fought viciously for power…

…Brennan was struck by lightning.


	6. The Ultimate Cover Up

_**An: I know this is REALLY fucking short, but it's okay. I like it the way it is. Actually, I think it would be a lot better like this instead of if I tried dragging out. Just some simple little feeling things having to deal with a post 100 episode plot.**_

_**And like last chapter, Always leave it to The Audition ;)**_

_**Next Song: Stolen - Dashboard Confessional**_

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_Left alone, your voice once gave me the comfort to continue._  
_2,000 miles, I'm hopeless and broken;_  
_You're gutless and hopin' to run into hope;_  
_And this isn't getting any easier._

_-The Ultimate Cover Up (The Audition)_

He was broken, completely and utterly broken, and he felt as if he couldn't even move his pinky finger let alone try to forget and move away about this woman he fell so hard for.

There would be no way that he could move on, and his thirty, forty, or fifty years would be her years to hold.

He was wrapped around her finger, and it made him sick when he realized how much of his own pride and power was drained to absolutely nothing the moment their lips collided outside that old run down bar.

He remembered her distinct taste, the small faint taste he was able to distinguish against the taste of tequila, or the taste of peppermint.

He just couldn't help it. He felt right when he was with her…he felt whole, and it felt like she was taking a knife to his chest and digging out his heart every time she lowered her walls of rationality and shot him away from her.

Yes, he has come further with her than any other person in her life. He knows her better than anyone, and is easily able to climb her walls if needed, but when he sees that confused pain in her eyes, and then hears all the scientific jargon leaving her lips, he feels like her pain is transferring to him.

But if that was the case, he would take it. If he could, he would take all of her pain away with a single touch, and double it upon himself if he had too.

He would do anything for her.

He would kill for her. He would die for her.

And that was what he was doing.

He was slowly killing himself for her. He was dying.

The hollow and constricting feeling in his chest never seemed to go away when he saw her, no matter who he was with in the process.

If we was out on a date with Catherine one minute, and the next minute his eyes met hers, he would feel his breath leave him, and a sad smile would grace his face like normal.

She would recognize his pain and quickly scurry away, leaving him in a pool of regrets and wishes for him to drown.

He couldn't expect much from her in this situation, but he knew she had a heart, the kind of heart no one gave her credit for. He saw his pain reflected in her eyes, and he knew she thought about their 'falling out' often, probably even as much as him, if not more.

He knew she was analyzing, trying to find some sort of stable ground to study her feelings, but her stable ground was far from her grasp, but slowly moving closer…

_1,000 Miles, You're coming closer…_


	7. Stolen

_**An: Longest chapter for the win, and if anyone is watching the Boy with the Answer now...that beginning was something out of Saw...it was AHMAZING! I loved it, but it was so creepy. Yayyyyyyyy!**_

_**But you're going to love this chapter, and it will totally get you through any sort of potential sadness...hinty...hinty...hint...hint...**_

_**Next song: Playing The Villain - This Providence**_

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You have stolen my heart;  
You have stolen my heart;

_And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration,  
One good stretch before our hibernation;  
Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well._

_Sleep well._

_-Stolen (Dashboard Confessional)_

Just a random dance was all it took. A random dance in the top floors of the Jeffersonian Institute, with the lights dimmed, and the softest of music playing.

Everyone seemed coupled up, but not just for dance partners. What Booth saw, was that there was some sort of underlying feelings between each couple, and he couldn't help but smile as his arms remained tight around his partner, knowing that he was not an exception to that observation.

"What are you looking at Booth?" she asked quietly, her body pressed flush to his, a pathetic excuse in her mind for being so close to him, being too warm herself against him.

He turned and squeezed her hand softly, smiling and shaking his head, a sense of bliss in his eyes that Brennan rarely saw. "It's nothing Bones."

"Evolution is very impressive, and whatever you could be looking at isn't nothing," she reasoned, smiling up at him, as a soft chuckle left his lips.

"It's an irrational observation you might not accept," he whispered, a teasing glint flashing in his eyes, which brought Brennan's head to a tilt.

"Tell me anyway," she ordered softly, her fingers gently brushing against the nape of his neck unconsciously.

He shivered softly, and the arm around her back tightened, their lips only millimeters apart as they spoke in hushed tones that only they could hear.

"It looks to me like everyone dancing with someone has some sort of deep, romantic feeling for their partner," he hushed, seeing the spark of interest in her eyes.

"Well, that is a logical observation, since, many of the older couples are dancing with their spouses, Cam is with Paul, Angela is with Hodgins, and…" she trailed off, her eyes casting down between them, before the lifted back to his "…Us…"

"Us?" he asked quietly, a small, curious smile on his lips, trying his best to hook her into him. "What do you mean us?"

"Us," she stated, her voice taking on that soft, but slightly husky tone she spoke with when she was speaking from her heart, and she didn't know it. "Even though we are partners, and best friends, there is still that underlying romantic tension, which is easily explained by the multitude of times we have helped each other physically, and emotionally, and saved each other's lives."

"Romantic tension?" he asked gently, "So you're admitting it?"

"Admitting what?" she asked, slightly pushing away, but finding her weak to his strong hand settled on her bare back.

"That you have some sort of romantic feelings for me."

"Booth," she whispered, her eyes darkening, and her hands coming to rest on his cheeks tenderly. "I never said I didn't."

He didn't know what to expect from her, but he never did, and when she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, a gasp rose to his chest, but he didn't dare release it in fear she would pull away.

But she did in fact, way too soon, but they were at a work benefit, and the spark in her eyes, and the soft smile on her lips gave him answers to his silent questions.

"You're ready?" he whispered tenderly, his arms coming to wrap tight around her back when she stepped closer to him, and buried her face in his shoulder.

Her lips pressed into his neck, and she smiled against his skin, a soft nod brushing against his chest. "I think I am," she admitted quietly, her arms tightening against his neck as she pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I can't promise anything solid, but I trust you enough to do the best I can."

Booth smiled, and leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers in a tender, soothing kiss. "One day at a time Bones. I've waited for you for six years and finally having the woman who stole my heart in my arms, is perfect. I don't care what happens in thirty or forty or fifty years, the here and now is…perfect."

"You already said that," Brennan pointed out quietly, smiling and laughing softly before he pulled her into his chest for a warm, and almost bone crushing hug.

Brennan's eyes rose, and she looked over Booth's shoulder, and found her coworkers smiling madly, and biting their lips to keep from cheering.

"I think we've made many people very happy," she whispered against his ear, laughing when he turned in her arms, and brought a hand from her back to rise into the air, wiggling his fingers in an innocent wave.

The orchestra ended the song, and everyone clapped, but instead the squint squad rushed and brought excited, relieved, and just plain happy arms around the two; Angela being the loudest and most enthusiastic of them all.

The orchestra stood and bowed, and everyone moved to their tables to grab their coats, but the squint squad stood, and Angela rested her arms on Brennan's shoulders. "How about you two love birds head home…one…home."

"Ange," Brennan hushed, smiling and shaking her head. "I can't tell you what the night has in store but you seem to know whatever happened the second I walk into the lab."

"Well I will definitely know something good happened when you BOTH don't come into work tomorrow…" Angela hinted, wiggling her eye brow suggestively, with an evil grin on her lips.

"You aren't celibate anymore; you don't need vicarious thrills anymore," Brennan brushed off, smiling as Booth walked up behind her, and draped her coat over her shoulders.

"The crowd is leaving, should we get going?" Booth asked, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, and bringing her closer to his side, his lips making their way to her temple.

"You shall," Angela answered, smiling and turning them both around, while pushing them towards the large oak doors. "Have a good night you two, we're all happy for you, and we don't hope to see you tomorrow, but if it happens that we do, it better be after mind blowing sex that has left you both incapacitated, 'kay bye!"

Booth laughed as his hand fell, and he shook his head slowly. "You can never have a boring day with Angela can you?"

"No, you cannot, even though, it's night," Brennan returned, slipping her arms through the sleeves of her jacket and allowing her hand to return next to his.

Their soft skin brushed against the other, and they looked at each other with slightly timid eyes, before both of their faces broke into a smile, and their fingers interlaced.

"You know, I've probably told you this already…but, you look beautiful Bones," he whispered, smiling at her, and chuckling at the blush that rose to her cheeks. "You're blushing," he pointed out, leaning over and pressing a small kiss to her cheek.

"I'm aware," she muttered, bringing her fingers up to touch her skin. "Booth, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Bones, what is it?"

"Can we go back to my apartment? The two of us?"

"Why do you sound so nervous? That's fine Bones." he whispered, smiling and opening the door of his SUV for her, helping her up and leaning against the door as she settled back in her seat.

"I don't know," Brennan whispered, smiling, and biting her lip gently. "I guess I'm just treading in unknown waters right now."

Booth smiled and stuck his pinky out to her, his other hand coming to circle her wrist, and bringing her pinky finger to lock with his. "I promise you, I will always be here to help you when you're scared. I told you this is going to happen one day at a time, one moment at a time, and I'm going to hold up to that."

"You have to kiss your hand to make it official," Brennan whispered, remembering the childish, school-aged act.

He shook his head and moved his hand from hers to cup her face, leaning forward and moving his lips to hers, their mouths opening and clashing with each other's passionately, and leaving both of them completely breathless when they pulled away.

"Does that make it any less official?" he whispered, smiling and brushing his fingers across the soft skin of her cheek.

"Not at all," she returned, her answer coming out on a weak exhale as a large smile lit up her face.

"Let's go home Bones," Booth muttered, smiling and closing her door, before jogging around the truck's front, and quickly slipping into his seat.

"Booth, even though you make your presence at my apartment a lot, you don't live there," Brennan ventured rationally, resting her head back and looking at him with a gentle grin on her lips.

"No, I don't, but you're my home Bones."

"How does that make sense, you don't live in me…"

"Home is where the heart is," Booth explained, starting up his suburban, and winking at her, before he pulled the black vehicle out into traffic.

"Then wouldn't home be your chest?"

"Nope, you're my home."

Somewhere in the midst of their soft talk on her couch, and the second dance in her living room, their lips had managed to find their way to their long lost partner once again, but this time, their hands took action.

Tender caresses brought their clothing to the floor, and soft embraces brought them under her sheets, where they made slow, passionate love for hours.

As midnight struck, Booth laughed and stretched dramatically, Brennan grumbling against his chest as her semi sleeping form was disrupted. "Booth," she grumbled softly. "What are you doing?"

"Having one good stretch before our hibernation," he explained, bringing one hand to rest behind his head, while his other arm wrapped tight around her back.

"Hibernation?" Brennan asked in interest, looking up at him with tired, but playful eyes.

"Yes, hibernation, because, after tonight, I have a good feeling that this bed won't be unoccupied for awhile," Booth whispered, leaning down and moving his lips against hers.

She growled huskily, and moved her hands to the side of his face, angling her body so that she was draped half way across his chest. "Is that a threat Agent Booth, or a promise?"

"Definitely a promise," he assured, his hand coming behind her head, and bringing her lips harder against his.


	8. Playing The Villain

_**An: Short, I know, but Brennan is never a villain in my eyes so I can only make her so 'evil'. Bahaha XD I like this chapter though, she shows who the head bitch is. For SURE! :)**_

**_Next chapter: Turn Back The Time (Chase Coy)_**

_

* * *

_

_You're so pretty,  
Such a must see,  
Dress yourself in jealousy;  
Self appointed gift from above._

_You would make a killin'  
Playing the villain.  
Well I hate who you've become,  
I don't know you anymore_

_Who are you now?_

_-Playing The Villain (This Providence)_

Booth didn't fully understand why, but for weeks, Bones seemed very touchy whenever he was around.

She was snippy, and short, and her eyes seemed to hold a permanent glare that he soon learned to hate.

Always directed towards him, her short temper seemed to shoot him further and further away from her, and for one of the few times in their partnership, he felt better avoiding her, and stepping out of her line of fire, instead of spending ever night with her.

But sooner or later, he knew he would fall prey to her, and when she shot into his office, and slammed shut his door, he wanted so desperately to crawl under his desk and hide.

"Bones, please, tell me what your problem is," Booth whispered, lacing his fingers together as he looked up into her annoyed and obviously raging eyes.

"My problem is Catherine," she said straight out, throwing her hand in his direction, her voice dripping rationality. "I'm sick of seeing her waltzing through here like she is God."

"You don't believe in God."

"No, I don't. But I'm pretty sure she does, or else she wouldn't be pretending to be his essence," Brennan explained, sighing and crossing her arms once again over her chest, her head shaking back and forth slowly. "I find a very irrational want to throttle her."

Booth laughed and leaned back, looking up at her cockily, with a smile on his lips. "You…are jealous."

"I'm not jealous," she spat, stalking forward and leaning her fists on his desk. "I…am NOT, jealous of her."

"Why else would you want to strangle her Bones?" Booth asked, standing up and leaning closer towards her. "She's done nothing to you what so ever. The only thing she has done is dated me."

"And that affected me because you want to spend more time with her, than what you normally do with me."

"So, you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Then what the hell are you?"

"I'm angry."

"Angry about what exactly?"

An evil smile quirked at her lips, as they pulled apart and a soft knock rocked against the glass. Catherine waved and smiled gently, her eyes holding nervousness in their blue depths as she saw the tense action between partners.

"Angered that you think that a 'light' version of me, will ever replace me," she hushed, huffing before she turned and opened Booth's office door, smiling disdainfully at Catherine, before she sauntered off, and left a stunned Booth standing frozen, with a dry throat, and an inability to speak.


	9. Turn Back The Time

_**An: I know, I know. Short chapters suck, but like before, I can only drag out on concept so far. But, with short chapters, comes more chapters. And the next shuffle song on the list is...**_

_**Worlds Away (From First To Last) 3**_

_**And since this is a Bones weekend, expect another chapter sometime today.**_

* * *

I just need a bit more time  
to get you off my mind tonight;  
I'm thinking of your bright blue eyes,  
Brighter than the stars that lit the skies.  
An angel in disguise.

_I just need a bit more time;  
I wanna hold you in my arms tonight.  
I can't forget those bright blue eyes,  
Can't forget the moment they met mine.  
Please turn back the time._

_-Turn Back The Time (Chase Coy)_

He couldn't seem to sleep much for the past few weeks, his time spent thinking about her instead of actually sleeping while the moon's light raged through his bedroom window.

He thought about her eyes, and her flawless skin; her auburn hair, and the sound of her soft voice when science left her mind and she was completely oriented with their conversation.

He would toss and turn all night, wondering how a woman so passionate about science and rational proof, would be his angel in disguise. She is perfect in his eyes. Even with every single one of her flaws…in his eyes, she was…is…perfect.

His chest ached softly, and wished so desperately that the pressure against his sternum was her back pressed against him, his arms wrapped around her as she slept beside him.

But like every night, he was alone. Reduced to only remember, and wish.

But even remembering brought wishes and he was reduced once again to burning effigies and glancing to the sky searching for shooting stars.

He often remembered back to their Egyptian mummy case when he was settled in his bed, wondering if he could turn back the time, and some sort of force could stop the squints from coming to get them, if they would have kissed.

And it made Booth all the more proud with the fact that even when Hacker was trying to make passes to his Bones, her eyes were still turned towards him.

He remembered the pressure against his chest and throat as she reached out and straightened his tie; his own fingers burning as he brushed against her soft skin and hair.

He loved her, and he couldn't see moving on anywhere in the near future, but he knew he had to try…it would just take him a little more time.

She seemed as though she didn't have much to move on from, or at least she tried to depict that, but he knew that was a lie. The small looks between them and the tender, almost secret conversations, jokes, and memories were dead weight on both of their hearts, and as he was tumbling into an abyss of hopelessness, she was holding herself up on the spike of rationality.

He wanted so much to just catch her off her guard and kiss her, to show her, once again this connection they share between each other, but he was scared that they would just end up where they are now; in denial, and hurting.

He knew they could be so much more than what they are giving themselves credit for, and deep down, he knows she knows that too; but until she realizes that fact, and decides to act upon it, he will just have to wait…

…lying in his bed, awake, until three in the morning…

…wishing, that they could be so much more, than what they think they are now.


	10. Worlds Away

_**An: Oh my lord I need to get happier music because I'm seriously making myself depressed. BAHAHAHA, But, the next chapter HAS to be good because it's...**_

_**Misery Business! by PARAMORE! ;)**_

_**You all know where this is going to be going before the first word is even written. XD**_

* * *

We pave the roads we take.  
We bend before we break.

_Across the world with you.  
Across the world with you._

_The love you never found,  
Was right here all along._

_Waiting here for you.  
Waiting here for you._

_When words mean nothing I'll be here singing; on and on and on and on.  
World away and I'll still be singing on and on and on and on._

_I know you feel like you've come too far,  
but you can always trace your steps back to the start.  
Tearing down what you had tried to build;  
sometimes earthquakes have a chance to kill._

_-Worlds Away (From First to Last)_

He knew eventually she would do this again, running away from him, and from everything he had tried to offer her.

She had pushed him away for a reason, and she was doing this for a reason…because she was scared.

This 'love' she never understood was right in front of her, and she didn't realize it. The way she looked at him told him it all. It hurt her so much to see him moving on, but, she was sacrificing herself because she didn't think she was good enough for him.

But much to his downfall, he was never able to find that precise moment to tell her that she was everything for him, and that she was the woman he pictured he would be with 50 years down the line.

They were disconnected. Their worlds had been separated, and they were forced to only gaze longingly through a looking glass, hands pressed as hard as possible to the confines, trying to reach out and connect again, but it was impossible.

And that was why she was leaving.

He couldn't bring her out of the terror the Gravedigger left upon her. And he couldn't convince her that without her, not only would he, and the squint squad, be permanently affected, but that murderers would test their boundaries.

With Temperance Brennan out of the D.C. picture, it would be the biggest game of the cat's away, and the mice shall play.

But those mice would take lives, and he would eventually have to be forced to work with some starving anthropologist intern that wanted to badly to be the epitome of the real Temperance Brennan, and even though they had collective expertise and knowledge in certain subjects…they were nowhere close to her.

Why he drug himself to his god forsaken place he didn't know, but what scared him most was that the only thing he could hear was a dull ringing, and the only thing he could see was her slowly dropping her luggage off and walking towards security.

"Bones," he called out softly, tears gathering in his eyes as somehow, she heard him over the thunderous crowd and her ice blue eyes locked with his dead, chocolate brown ones.

Her smile was completely weak, and their silent conversations began. Her posture and the miniscule shake of her head screamed _I'm sorry, _but Booth simply raised his hand and waved, despite the desperate will to not cry in front of thousands of people bustling around the airport.

He saw that crystalline tear a mile away, and it made his harder to hold as she waved in return and quickly averted her gaze, dumping her contents of her pockets out into a bin before rushing through the metal detectors and disappearing from sight.

He didn't know what he would do throughout his days without her there.

He wouldn't have anyone to call throughout the day. He wouldn't have anyone to eat Thai with him at midnight. He wouldn't have anyone to argue with in his Suburban. And he wouldn't have anyone try and break him down into a simple example of pristine anthropology.

He wouldn't have deep blue eyes full of emotion to look into, and he wouldn't have her small frame to hold against his chest whenever she got so deep into emotional confusion she began spiraling into a never ending abyss.

He wouldn't have light auburn hair to brush his fingers against, and he wouldn't have that lopsided grin that seemed to break his heart, and make his day, every day, of every week, of every month, of every year.

He wouldn't have her soft skin to brush tears away from, and he would have no one to share his table at the diner with.

He would have no one to talk to about Parker, or Pops, and he wouldn't have anyone to tell the stories about his mother's meatloaf at the Founding Fathers.

He wouldn't have anyone to sit with him on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and he wouldn't have anyone to drink shots of whiskey with him in his office after a touch case.

All he would have was hope, and a very undependable cell phone.

And memories.

He always had memories…no matter how much they hurt.

That night, somehow, he found himself on their usual step of the Lincoln Memorial, his hands clasped between his knees as he looked up into the night sky, stars trying hard to shine behind the storm clouds rolling in.

Despite the warning of thunder, Booth didn't move, and soon was soaked to his skin in the rain, the only warmth from his body being the hot tears spilling from his eyes.

He felt broken.

Shattered.

Like an earthquake ripped through his life, and nothing else functioned correctly, except the tear ducts he so rarely used.


	11. Misery Business

_**An: Heheheheheh well, this is such a bitch move on Brennan's part but Catfish...gotta go...so this is all good ;)**_

_**Next song is actually a request, but the band is on my iPod so I'll take it, and the song is...**_

_**Ready When You Are (Trapt)**_

* * *

I watched his wildest dreams come true;  
Not one of them involving you.  
Just watch my wildest dreams come true,  
Not one of them involving…

_-Misery Business (Paramore)_

Brennan didn't understand the irrational anger that seemed to pulse through her, thicker than her own blood, every time her eyes laid upon this marine biologist that Booth was so desperately trying to connect with.

He found looks, intelligence, and humor, but her levels were extremely lacking when it came to herself, and though Brennan was very sure of her qualifications as a mate, she never felt her need to assert them, until _Catherine_…came into the picture.

Catherine had her eyes, a similar bone structure, and brown hair, though her hair was more darkened to almost black, then the shining auburn hair that conformed to Brennan's face.

Catherine was pretty, but Brennan found herself beautiful. Her skin was absolutely flawless, and she always dressed to accommodate that feature, either flaunting her eyes or the paleness of her skin.

No she wasn't tanned, but her skin also wasn't wrinkled and drying from large amounts of sun exposure that Catherine had obviously fell victim to.

And even though she had a doctorate, she only had one, and Brennan had three. That in itself was physical proof of her superiority over the intelligence category.

And last but not least was humor.

Even though Catherine was more in touch with her humor, and was able to crack jokes on free will, Brennan found that her everyday actions were humorous to Booth, but not in the teasing way, but in a way that gave him that tilted grin that she found provoked a burning sensation in her chest.

Obviously, on a scale of better mates for Booth, she would be higher on the chart then this marine biologist.

And another thing that she had that Catherine didn't…was primal fighting instinct.

Mess with what is hers, and Temperance Brennan will come after you with a fisted hand, and hell blazing in her eyes.

Sitting in Booth's office by herself, her feet propped on his desk as her body hidden in shadows, was the perfect trick to bring Catherine towards her, the 'love drunk' biologist knocking on the door, and opening it with a sickeningly wide smile.

"Seeley," she said, before flicking the light on, and turning her smile off. "Oh, Dr. Brennan, what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that question. You see, when you've been partners with someone for five years, you get clearance to sit and wait in their office for them. See, you've only known him for how long? 3 weeks approximately?"

"What is this supposed to be?"

"This is a declaration of domination," Brennan stated, standing up, and leaning her knuckled fists against his desk. "Booth is mine."

"Yours? As he correctly tells me, you broke his heart," Catherine pointed out, closing the door behind her, and moving further into the threat.

"See, that is reflection for my intelligence, since the heart, in every mammal, is made of tissue, and can only be crushed…not broken."

"And that is reflection of your stupidity since you can't comprehend the basic concept of love, and the metaphorical heart that every other human being understands," Catherine shot back.

"You know, the last person who dared to call me stupid, got punched in the nose, twice," Brennan stated, her eyes darkening evilly.

"I'm sure if you punched me, Booth would be very angry."

"Actually Booth was there when I punched that federal judge…he thought it was hot, and a little biologist like yourself doesn't scare me. I've been tortured by foreign extremists, buried alive, shot, stabbed, and chained from ceilings to be fed to hungry dogs. I've woken up in a pool of my own blood with a broken wrist and a torn ear lobe in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina with no memory of the day before. I've worked my mother's murder, and worked the cases of my murdering father. I've been locked in trunks, abused, and beaten to hell, but you know was there the whole time this went on? Booth. He's been there and helped me through every single one of those moments," Brennan bragged, smirking successfully "He even flew down to New Orleans just because I was hospitalized…not even a year into our partnership.

Catherine rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, an obvious defensive maneuver on her part as she finally caught a glimpse into how complex the ties between Booth and Brennan were. "Well, Booth hasn't had it easy either if you're trying to play the pity card."

"Oh no I know that too. I was there for him through all of his shit as well. I held him in my arms as his blood pulsed through my fingers. I was on the helicopter when we flew out to a navy ship to save him from the Gravedigger. It was my hand he held when he confessed his army past to me, and it was my eyes he found comfort in when the days of his torture in the Middle East were brought into the light. I was the person he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and I was the one that stole his heart that day 6 years ago."

"Why do you brag about hurting him?" Catherine asked, tilting her head before brushing her long dark hair behind her shoulder.

"Because I'm not going to hurt him anymore. He knows I need more time to process emotions, but he also knows, when I make my decision…that decision is final. And my decision is final. Booth is mine."

"But he chose me, after you rejected him," the biologist pointed out.

"Congratulations, you're the second resort, but I can assure you, he doesn't mean to do it but when he looks into your baby blue eyes, he sees mine. He's told me every single detail of his past, and I know things about his past not even he knows about. I'm his village, when it comes to his son…and his grandfather loves me."

"What about his dad?" Catherine asked curiously, feeling the battle moving towards Brennan's victory as she felt utterly and completely lost.

"See, that's where this battle is won. You know nothing about him, and you can try and think, '_maybe we can be something great'_, but in the end, you're second best…and no one needs second best, when the best is willing to give him everything he wants," Brennan hissed, her eyes raising when she saw Booth walk down the hallway, confused, and slightly scared as he rushed to his office, and opened the door.

"What's happening ladies? Bones, what are you doing here?"

"Asserting my acclaim over you," Brennan stated rationally, watching as his eyes darkened and a tic appeared in his jaw.

"She's pretty much relaying your guy's history for me to make her point that you belong to her, and that I should get out," Catherine stated, moving to stand closer to Booth, but immediately stilling, his bristling anger seemingly propelling her away.

"Who the hell do you think you are, to come into my office, while I'm not here, and tell my girlfriend, that she isn't worthy of me?" Booth asked, stalking forward and snatching up his stress ball.

"Sorry Booth, but how many times before have you done that to me?"

"That's a different story."

"Why? Because I'm the unfeeling scientist and you're the FBI field agent who wants to make everyone happy? Sorry Booth, but it doesn't work that way."

"No shit, thanks for the news flash."

"See, Booth, you're pretending to be angry, but truthfully, you wouldn't be when you actually stop and think about what I've offered you."

"I know what you're offering me, and at any other time, that would have been amazing, but your assertion of the matter pisses me off."

"She'll never replace me Booth," Brennan hissed, moving forward so that they were only centimeters apart. "You've said it yourself you knew, and I'm telling you…that you're right. You knew. You still know."

Booth sighed and his shoulders fell, his stress ball falling to his desk once he saw the sincere vulnerability under the mask covering her eyes. Turning he looked at Catherine and shook his head. "I need to talk Bones alone," he whispered.

Catherine growled, and moved to slap Booth but Brennan stepped in front of him and nodded towards the door. "It isn't polite to intrude on a conversation you have no need to intrude upon."

"How you fell in love with her I have no idea, but you must be one masochistic son of a bitch," she growled, huffing and walking quickly from his office.

"Okay, Bones," Booth said, holding his hands into the air. "What…what possessed you to do this today?"

"I was not possessed, paranormal possession is impossible Booth, but…you're just asking my reasoning for my timing…"

"Yeah."

"Well, I just…my last nerve must have just snapped Booth. I'm sorry for hurting you further with this but, I need to get rid of her, semi peacefully, so that she won't cloud your judgment about my decision," Brennan explained, the defense and protectiveness in her eyes fading to the normal calm, and innocent look that naturally settled in their blue depths. "Besides, I thought you found my outspoken and forward decisions endearing."

"Bones I do," Booth whispered, reaching up and pressing his palms gently against the side of her face. "I find everything about you endearing, but…I'm like you said. I want to please everyone."

"Booth, that's impossible, for starters," she explained, her hands coming to gently rest against his chest "And you have to learn to please only the people who are going to be there for a long time. Catherine could be moved to Florida tomorrow, and you guys would never speak again, but Booth, no matter where I've run too, I've always come back."

"And I'm assuming your decision is that you'll finally try all of this?"

Brennan smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice taking on a breathy and slightly husky tone that was new to his ears. "How is this for a confirmation?" she whispered, leaning forward and clashing her mouth with his, his hands running into her hair as he stumbled back slightly against the vigor of their tongues.

Pulling away, they panted heavily, and they shared a gentle smile, breaking into a fit of tender laughter, before pressing their lips together again and again in a slow passionate signing of this step they were going to take.

"Now, are you absolutely sure of this?" Booth asked, holding Brennan to him, and leaning forward to kiss her again.

"I'm sure, Booth I'm sure," she returned, "and I'm sorry for yelling at Catherine."

"Eh…right now, I'm reveling in the fact that my wildest dreams have come true…and besides, that feral look you get in your eye with you get angry…it's still hot."


	12. Ready When You Are

_**An: yay happiness! And even though this was a request, and the song isn't really on my iPod, I have songs by Trapt on my iPod so I thought I could make an acception, and I liked this chapter. I think it ended up well ;)**_

_**Next chapter...**_

_**Undisclosed Desires (Muse)**_

* * *

Are you having trouble keeping up?  
Seeing this thing through.  
I want to know who you're running from,  
Me or you?  
You're too confused to open up,  
Feel the way I do,  
I want to know who you're thinking off...  
'Cause I really have no clue.

_-Ready When You Are (Trapt)_

Everything moved in slow motion as he sped through the emptying DC streets, and eventually sped to a stop in the parking garage of her apartment complex, his SUV being parked right next to her car.

He sprinted towards the stairs, bounding the height two steps at a time until he busted into the 5th floor, and ran down the hall, stopping at her apartment door and slamming his fist repeatedly against her door.

"Bones!" he yelled, moving to take the spare key she gave him out of his pocket, but the door opened, and he sighed a sigh of relief, stepping forward and bringing his arms around her back, hugging her tight to him, and breathing shakily into her neck.

"Booth," she gasped gently, her arms coming around his neck loosely. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you," Booth whispered, despite of himself, placing a gentle kiss against her neck. "I'm not letting you run away to Indonesia for a year. I'm not letting you leave your life here because you're confused. Bones you've been sucked into a whirlpool of emotions, and even though I'm the center of that catastrophic circle, I'm still here to pull you away from the hurt and the pain."

Brennan tightened her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulder, her chest fluttering against his as she tried to breathe normally, but ultimately failed. "Booth, but what about your…"

"They aren't a factor Bones," he stated, pulling back and sliding his hands against her jaw line until her face was being held in his hands. "They were never a factor. The brain scans, the doctors, they may be medically smart, but they're horrible with understanding how people feel. It wasn't your book, and my coma dream that started this…it was the moment I first laid my eyes on you this whole thing began."

"I just…don't understand. Any of this. It's so confusing, and my physical bodily reactions just make it worse," Brennan whimpered, turning her head to look away from him. "I don't know what to do, and…I just can't separate what I feel for one thing, and what I feel for another. Am I sad and broken because of all of our murder cases? Or is it because of our ultimate falling out?

"Falling out? Bones I'm still here, we didn't have a falling out."

"Yes we did," she retaliated instantly "Ever since that night…ever since Sweets told you to gamble with the most important thing to you…we've been drifting apart. You aren't sitting here in my apartment with me at one in the morning eating Thai food, we aren't walking through the parks, or sitting in the garden at the Jeffersonian when the weather is nice-"

"No, but that's the thing I learned from gambling. Your luck can change at, literally, any minute. Bones, it's taken you 6 years to start thinking that we can be more than this," Booth pointed out, stroking her cheeks tenderly and calmingly. "You lose some and you win some, you know that, you've hit the Vegas Strip with me…"

"Yes but, emotions are not my thing, they're yours, and I find I'm…frightened."

"Bones, I trust you every day of my life when it comes to these cases. You have proven to me time and time again that you know what you're doing when it comes to murder solving…bones are your thing, and like you said, emotions are mine. Have I not proven my reliability?"

"Yes, you have but-"

"Ssh, that's enough," he stopped, his thumb passing over her bottom lip softly. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction Bones, and this horrible pain and sadness, can be met with an unexplainable happiness…50 years worth of it-"

"Actually Booth, when you're using Newton's laws of motion as an example, the reaction has to be equal in quantity, so for 50 years of happiness, we'll need to go through 50 years of sadness…"

"No we don't," Booth whispered, stepping closer and bringing his face closer to hers. "We just need each other…we just need to stop running, and hold onto each other instead of pushing away."

"But how do I stop running when I don't even know exactly what…or who, I'm running from?" Brennan asked tenderly, finding it harder and harder to breath at his close proximity.

"You just let go, and trust me to catch you."

"Will you catch me?"

"I already have," he assured, closing the small distance between them, and bringing their lips together softly, the kiss starting slow, and tender, but quickly gaining heat and sending them both to start moving backwards down the hallway.

Her fingers traced over the buttons of his work shirt, gently beginning to slip them away, before he pressed her back against a wall momentarily, and pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked quietly.

"I…I trust you," she assured "I absolutely, without a doubt, trust you."

He was breathless and slid her shirt over her head, pulling her tank top covered torso closer to his before they kissed softly once again, and Booth's arm snuck under the back of her knees, lifting her into his arms and walking her back into her bedroom, with their mouths still moving against the other.

He came to stand at the side of her bed, and gently lowered her to the floor, his hands settling against her ribs to still them momentarily.

"Bones, I want to do this right," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes in a buzzed pleasure. "I don't want this to be some desperate hook up. I want to make love to you, slowly; to drive you completely and insanely out of your mind."

"That's what I presumed you were going to do," she returned quietly, her fingers running across his shirt covered abdominal muscles.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Absolutely," Brennan muttered, slipping away the buttons of his shirt and pushing the fabric away slowly, her skin finally in contact with his. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Her confession made him seemingly dizzy and they both lazily opened their eyes. Their gazes locked as gentle smiles met their lips, soft laughs being released into the air, before their eyes closed once again, and Booth's hands curled around the back of her ribs, pulling her closer to him, and stealing away one of many kisses he envisioned he would receive from her in the future.


	13. Undisclosed Desires

_**An: So, I know I should have posted this yesterday, BUT, once I got home I actually decided to go out with my sister when she went, and we had such a fun day. We went to see her friend Kyle, who ended up having like 15 people come to his house. XD I played with his chinchilla, Chi Chi, and I played basketball in the rain. ;) But now I sit in the rain and write this romance, that hopefully satisfies your undisclosed desires.**_

_**Ha, cheesy!**_

_**Next song in the line up....**_

_**Damned If I Do Ya, Damned If I Don't (All Time Low)**_

_**Lord...this is going to be a good one ;)**_

* * *

_I know you've suffered,_  
_But I don't want you to hide._  
_It's cold and loveless,_  
_I won't let you be denied._

_Soothing,  
I'll make you feel pure.  
Trust me,  
You can be sure._

_I want to reconcile the violence in your heart.  
I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask.  
I want to exorcise the demons from your past.  
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart._

_-Undisclosed Desires (Muse)_

It was Christmas time once again, and Booth was running all over DC to make everything perfect. He cut down his own tree, bought lights and ornaments, bought all sorts of food, and of course bought presents for his loved ones; but no matter how hard he tried, he could NOT get Bones out of the lab.

He knew she didn't like the holidays, but he also knew that ever since her dad came back, and she started having dinners at her house with all of her friends, and her brother, that she didn't mind the cheerful, gift giving holiday as much as she used too.

But this year seemed different, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.

He walked once again through the elaborately decorated lab, snow falling from his shoulders as he shook gently to warm himself, before he stepped through Brennan's office door.

"Bones!" he said cheerily, smiling and walking over to her. "What's going on?"

"Just working Booth…doing the same thing I've been doing since you were here an hour ago…"

"Well Bones, do you blame me? Tis the season! Leave the lab, have some fun. Go see all the lights, make a snow man, have a snow ball fight, do SOMETHING, other than be crammed up with dead people," he listed off, smiling at her with his beaming charm smile.

She looked up at him and his smile immediately disintegrated. Her eyes were paled, and she looked sad, and extremely tired. She had dark cressets under her eyes and her skin took on a sickly pale tint, instead of the normal frosted ivory color it turned during the winter.

"Bones…what's the matter?"

"It's nothing Booth, I've just been thinking a lot lately…"

"About what?"

"Nothing."

"Bones, you look beat. Obviously you're not thinking about nothing," Booth whispered, moving to crouch beside her desk chair, his hand resting on her arm. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's irrational, stupid, and selfish," she brushed off, her eyes falling to his hand momentarily before she brought her fingers across his knuckles. "You should probably start wearing gloves Booth, you're hands are very, very cold."

"Bones, come on, let's go pick up some Thai food, and I'll take you home," he offered gently, wrapping his hand tenderly around her wrist, and pulling her up from her seat once he stood from where he knelt beside her.

"Booth, I still have a lot of work to do. I can't leave now."

"No one else is here, it's the Christmas season, and you'll be right back in this office tomorrow. Bones, take a break."

He handed her off her beer, and they both snapped the caps off before they brought the plates of Thai into their lap, and cracked their bottles together silently.

They sipped the frothy liquid, and brought noodles to their mouths, feeding themselves silently before Booth finally set his plate on her coffee table, and turned towards her direction. "Alright Bones, what's been bothering that genius mind of yours?"

She took in a deep intake of breath, and her hand seemed shaky as she placed her plate by his, but settled for staring forward. "I told you before it's selfish…"

"I don't care; tell me what's made you so upset."

"I find that…even with my father, and brother, and other extents of my family; genetic or not, around me during this time…I still feel lonely without my mom," Brennan whispered, bringing the bottle to her lips, and drinking deeply. "And it's completely selfish, and disgusts even myself."

"Bones…it's not selfish to miss your mom," Booth whispered, setting his beer beside the forgotten food, and doing the same to hers. "I still miss my dad."

"But he hurt you," Brennan declared, turning and looking at him with wide, misunderstanding eyes. "He abused you, threw you into hell…metaphorically."

"Yes, but he's still my dad. You still love your dad even though he abandoned you and murdered people…you still love your brother, even though he left you to suffer in the foster care system, and you can still miss your mom during Christmas," he continued, his arm coming to drape around her shoulders.

"But how can we care so much for people who hurt us?" she asked, tears of misunderstanding and confusion threatening to spill over.

"Why do we care, and want so much, with a person we know we can't have?" he returned, his stomach churning at the widening of her eyes.

"Do you miss me?" she asked in a small voice, a gentle quiver in her lower lip that he wanted to kiss away.

"What do you mean Bones?"

"Do you miss me? Does it hurt the same?"

"Some days Bones, yeah it does; but now I'm just kind of used to it," Booth explained quietly, his fingers falling to gently brush against her arm.

"How can you smile so much when you're hurting that bad?" she asked in interest, her hands restless in her lap as her mind ran and she was left behind huffing and puffing to catch up.

"Because you're the most important person in my life Bones, other than Parker of course; and I don't care if I'm on my death bed, I'll still smile when I see your face."

"That's irrational," she simply spoke, but her constant moving sent off a small flare of warning in his mind.

"That's love."

"I can't hide my emotions as well as you…because it hurts, but I can only compartmentalize so much, and when I get overloaded, I don't know what to do," Brennan whimpered, her eyes falling to her lap, where her hands continued to wring their partner constantly.

His hand reached out, and his knuckle brushed under her chin, tilting her face up, and bringing her eyes to meet his. "Bones, everyone feels that overload," he whispered, not caring about the fact that they were so close to each other. "That's when you have to act from the heart."

She opened her mouth to retaliate against the fact that your heart is a muscle, and doesn't have the necessary skill to drive your actions or thoughts, but she found herself entranced by his passion darkened, chocolate eyes, and she crashed her lips to his.

His hand came to tenderly hold the side of her jaw, an overwhelming contrast to the desperate act of their tongues, wrestling, fighting, biting, wanting.

She found herself under him minutes later, her rational mind being completely wiped out as her fingers worked on parting his shirt from his chest, and his lips made work against her neck.

"I feel so different with you," she whispered once his shirt had left his body, and her arms wrapped around his neck, "I feel…whole, and undamaged, and never once have I felt that before in my life."

"That's love Bones," Booth whispered once again, his hands coming to cup her cheeks as he placed a tender, but breathtaking kiss to her lips, before he proceeded to test her knowledge of physics.


	14. Damned If I Do Ya

_**An: Short, but it's there. :) Like I said in chapters before, why drown out a concept that is fine stated in a couple paragraphs? Besides, another chapter might be up like an hour later, or tomorrow afternoon.**_

_**I'm going to have to worn you know, this story is going to rape your email.**_

_**I will probably have to write two chapters a day to get anywhere with my now 730 song list for this, withing the rave music and instrumental music with no words. Bahaha! So..be ready to do some real reading sons!**_

_**But yes, next chapter's song issssss.....**_

_**Self Deception (Lacuna Coil)**_

_***Info tip! My username "Coilerfan35" was created because of Lacuna Coil. I'm a huge Coiler (Lacuna Coil fan) and so the username was born. ;)**_

* * *

_I fought it for a long time now;_  
_While drowning in a river of denial._  
_I washed up, fixed up, picked up,_  
_All my broken things._

'_Cause you left me,  
Police scene, chalk line.  
Tequila shots,  
In the dark scene of the crime.  
Suburban living with a feeling that I'm giving up,  
Everything for you._

_Oh, oh, oh  
How was I supposed to know,  
That you were oh, oh, over me?  
I think that I should go.  
Something's telling me to leave but I won't._

'_Cause I'm damned if I do ya, damned if I don't_

_ -Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't) [ All Time Low ]_

He knew the second she turned and waved at him through the back window of that cab that he would be giving up every single drop of his life over to her; the feeling she was pulling from him as she smiled and waved gently was a feeling that not only made him feel like his heart was being ripped out, but at the same time, made him want to chase after her, and claim her as his own.

But she seemed like someone he would never be able to claim, and he liked that in a woman. He was the kind of man that had girls trying to morph and change themselves to win him over, but no matter what, if you weren't real with Seeley Booth, you were out.

People who didn't know him swooned, but didn't even know the smallest of shadows that his past held.

He was broken goods, and he revealed that to her, and they still kissed.

'_Oh that mind blowing kiss_'

Booth didn't believe in drunken stupor. Yes, he knew drunk people could be stupid at times, but when it came down to it, their loose lips always spoke the truth, and he had told her he had a gambling problem, and she accepted that easily.

She recognized him as the direct descendent of an assassin still hated to this day, and her arms still circled his neck.

He had whispered 'wow' and she laughed, and smiled. But even though she turned down their arrangement to sleep together he had to wonder deep down if she had that feeling, that this was just bad timing.

Truthfully, he did. He felt that fate would bring them together again one day, and that waiting should be in store. So when she playfully pushed him away, he stayed put, and placed all of his trust in the cosmos.

He wished he could see that smile on her lips again, but he never got too…not until 13 months later, and even then her smile was achieved during a sarcastic argument with him.

It took him months, after that year to see her genuine smile once again, and once he did, he realized it was worth the wait.

And now, 6 years later, where every night he finds himself falling more and more in love with this woman, and where every night, it kills him just a little more inside to know she didn't feel the same, he still held that hope.

It was fading, but he still held onto it.

Fate brought them together, tore them apart, and brought them together once again. Fate was what brought them to reconcile; and if fate ordered them to be together, then they would.

He didn't know if they would be together at this point, but he had a feeling. He had that strong pang in his stomach that just screamed to him that they would bet together in the end, and once again, he put his trust into the hands of something he couldn't see, smell, hear, feel, or touch, but he didn't care.

Love is complicated. A roller coaster consisting of leaps of faith and superman bounds.

But no matter how low he got, seeing that smile, and remembering that first night, brought him a fraction higher; and he soon found that his only reason for living other than his son was that gentle, crooked smile.


	15. Self Deception

_**An: GAH! I'm actually struggling to write all of my stories! With tomorrow being the finale, and having WesTest all week I'm drained and when I get home the only thing I want to do is sleep. But of course, I some how manage to pump out this story...I blame it on the music. ;)**_

_**Music always pumps me up.**_

_**But tomorrow, I will actually try and work on my other chapters that I owe you, and I might even have the next chapter of The Catalyst up after the episode. But who knows? It all depends how fast my fingers want to work.**_

_**The next song in the line up is....**_

_**Sunday, Bloody Sunday (Paramore)**_

* * *

_I'll never waste another day;_  
_Searching to find the reason._  
_Why did I choose to play this game?_  
_This goes too far,_  
_I'll take no more._

_-Self Deception (Lacuna Coil)_

"I'm done."

"Booth, I think you're going a little overboard with this."

"No, Angela I'm not," he growled, turning on the artist and pointing; a fire blazing in his eyes. "I'm sick of being pushed and pulled back and forth on her whim. I can't stand this feeling anymore."

"Sweetie, you're overwhelmed, I know what you're feeling, you just need to stop and relax."

"No, Ange. I can't do this anymore," Booth groaned, plopping down on her couch and running his hands over his face. "She's had me wrapped around her finger since the moment I laid eyes on her, and now…I'm just suffering."

Angela walked over to him and settled down beside him, taking one of his large hands between her own and bringing them to rest on her knee. Her brown eyes clashed with his, and she felt that pang of loneliness and loss in her chest. "I've been through what you've been through Booth. Trust me on that. You just need to stop for a second and think."

"Every time I stop and think my mind goes back to her," he pleaded softly, leaning forward and running his hand over his face again. "I can't her out of my mind."

"Booth, you haven't been able to do that for six years, you aren't going to stop now," she pointed out, stroking her thumb across the back of his hand comfortingly.

He laughed sarcastically and shook his head "This is just one big fucking game," he murmured "I don't know why I gambled this."

"Because, back then you were a gambler," Angela whispered "You still have the instinct of a gambler, but you aren't doing it religiously. Everyone gambles Booth. Everyone puts that trust in something they can't see, at some time or another."

"Bones apparently doesn't."

"Oh no. You, of all people, should know she has. Just letting you in has been a gamble for her, and you wanting to leave and step out of her life is going to shut her down forever."

A sigh left his lips and he leaned back, shaking his head and squeezing the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "The fact is Ange I CAN'T walk away. That's my problem. I'm wrapped so tight around her finger; my life is dependent on her being there, and I just…need to be my own person again."

"You can't do that when you love someone Booth. It's impossible," Angela whispered, showing him her wedding ring to Hodgins. "Here is my own personal proof."

"Well," Booth muttered; his voice completely weak and pitiful to the artist's ears. "What do I do?"

"Wait for her," she answered. "She's cracking. Trust me…she's cracking."

"She's running Angela," he breathed out on a sigh. "To Indonesia."

"That's what she does when she is confronted with emotions she can't begin to comprehend. The most you can do is to just show her that you're there, and that you're always going to be there; that in itself will affect her more than any kiss ever will."

"What if my body just takes over and I kiss her anyway?"

"Then remember that feeling you get when your lips touch, and her taste, and make that your reward for your patience. Trust me Booth, you two are meant to be together; and love is just a big game of self deception. You have to hurt before the good blooms," Angela explained, squeezing his hand gently. "Just hang in there Tex, you'll make it through."

Booth sighed and shook his head "God, you are Texan," he muttered under his breath before standing up, and sending Angela curling inward with laughter.

"Don't mess with Texas," she stated, winking before standing up and taking her remote between her fingers. "Trust me Booth, you'll find out sooner or later she feels the same. She just needs more time to figure it out."

"But she's a genius, how does it take her so long to distinguish a few simple emotions?" Booth asked, his voice still dejected, but lined with hope.

"Because she never had a good life. She learned to cover up the pain with rationality and science, and that's been her habit for years. She's never going to change into someone who's all about their feelings, but she's changed so much already since she's met you, and I have no doubt that sooner or later, she'll change enough to realize what she feels for you."

A small smile reached his lips, and he nodded while slipping his hands into his pockets. "That's…very helpful. Thanks Angela."

"No problem stud muffin, you know I'm always here put a band aid on your cracking heart," she joked, smiling over her shoulder as she came to stand in front of her monitor, and pulled up the background for the anthropology unit.

Booth laughed and rolled his eyes, walking from her office and moving towards his Bones, who was standing over a body on the platform. The small pang of pain still settled under his chest cavity, but a smile came to his lips. He jumped up the steps and came to hover next to her, his hand instinctually moving to her lower back. "What are you working on Bones?"

He smirked as she straightened into his hand, and turned to look at him with widened eyes. "N-nothing," she stuttered quickly, nodding her head towards the skeleton in front of her. "Just, working on the body."

"How about we take a break and go get something to eat?"

A small smile lit up her face, and he felt that familiar urge to lean forward and press his lips to hers, but once again he fought it, and just smiled along with her.

"Alright," she whispered softly, turning further into him and unconsciously running her fingers over his lapels. "That sounds acceptable."


	16. Sunday, Bloody Sunday

_**An: So, this is totally sad, but cute at the same time. And if you've caught up with the latest chapter of Priorities, you will know...I'M FUCKING SUNBURNT, and not happy about it :(. Sun sucks! But here's this, and the next song in the lineup is...**_

_**Chasing The Night (Every Avenue)**_

* * *

_I can't believe the news today._  
_Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away._  
_How long, how long must we sing this song?_  
_How long, how long?_  
_Tonight, we can be as one tonight._

_Broken bottles under children's feet,  
And bodies strewn across the dead end street,  
But I won't heed the battle call.  
It puts my back up,  
Puts my back up against the wall._

_Sunday, bloody Sunday._

_-Sunday, Bloody Sunday (Paramore)_

She had argued to Booth the second he demanded he was going to accompany her to her project in Afghanistan_._ She told him she didn't need to be baby sat, and that she would be fine. But he had argued.

She told him she'd seen mass grave sites before, but he still argued, and demanded that he be right beside her once that plane left the airport.

But like herself, when Seeley Booth puts his mind to something, there's no changing it, and she was forced to accept that her partner would be sharing this terrible experience with her.

Like she told him before, she had been in mass grave sites. She had been in the depths of genocide, and religiously justified murder and sacrifice, and at the time she thought she would be fine, but in the end, she was glad Booth forced himself to come.

They were carried to site by caravan, but it took them almost 2 hours to get there, as they slowly crept through the city with bodies lining the streets.

Men walked in front of them, clearing corpses from the road, and Brennan gasped when she estimated thousands of people were dead around them.

Booth's hand came to cover hers, and she looked at him with tears and fear in her eyes; his own eyes holding a dark air to them that told her he had seen things like this before.

"Mass suicide bombing," he explained quietly, squeezing her hand gently. "Probably 20, maybe 30 people."

Her teeth dug into her lip, and she nodded, glancing out the window again and allowing the first tear to fall from her eye as she watched young children scramble through broken glass and remains of the city to try and find their family.

"Madar!" she heard a small child scream, accompanied with a hysterical cry that tore Brennan's heart apart.

She took in a shaky breath and sobbed against her will, and immediately found herself being turned into Booth's chest, his arms coming fully around her, and bringing his fingers to run lovingly through her hair. "Stop looking at it," he whispered, practically holding her in his lap as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead to calm her down.

"It doesn't matter Booth, I still see it," Brennan whispered, her hands fisting his shirt tightly as tears spilled over her eyes.

"I know, but you need to stop looking at it. The imagination is never as horrible as the real thing," he promised, tightening his hold on her and kissing her forehead again.

"How does this solve anything?" she asked, shaking her head against his chest. "How can anyone think this solves anything?"

"I don't know Bones. Some people take pleasure in the fact they take hundreds of lives with them when they blow themselves to hell. We can never really understand them, we just have to aim and take a shot in a hope to save some of the people they're planning to kill," Booth explained, his voice dark as he retold his personal past to her, and her head rose to look him in the eyes.

They were alone in the back seat of the heavily guarded caravan, and despite the macabre display passing them so slowly, her hands came to rest against his cheeks, and she leaned forward to kiss him softly.

It was crossing the line he had built years ago, but they had crossed that lines years before, and even though it wasn't appropriate in a partnership, it was appropriate to calm him, and offer him some support.

Their foreheads fell together, and they kept their hold on each other, her lips moving slowly as she whispered to him. "Booth, you did a good thing back in the Snipers. Yes, you were forced to kill, but you killed to save the lives of multiple innocents. You didn't kill for the thrill of shooting down the enemy; you did it because you were protective of innocent people who were wrongfully dying. You did a good thing…don't ever doubt that."

He was confused about where they were at that point, her gentle kiss replaying in his mind and leaving him not only confused, but completely breathless.

He looked at her, and raised his hand to brush his thumb against her cheek; he leaned down, and despite himself, pressed another short, tender kiss to her lips, before sitting back, and bringing her head to rest against his shoulder again. His lips passed over her forehead, and he smiled softly as her arms wrapped tight around him.

"Thank you Bones," he whispered weakly, looking at the horror outside the windows, before ducking his eyes down and burying his nose in her hair. "Thank you."


	17. Vegas

_**An: So I know this was supposed to be Chasing The Night by Every Avenue, and I started writing this for that song, but then I found Vegas by All Time Low and it described this chapter more. XD It was weird, but now this is Vegas by All Time Low, and Chasing the Night is coming next.**_

_**I have all my songs shuffled and written down, which was what I was doing all night, getting organized before writing this chapter. And so here it is. Sorry for the confusion, but forgive me, I gave you the longest chapter of this story. :)**_

_**Next song is...**_

**_Chasing The Night (Every Avenue)_**

**_I promise ;)_**

_

* * *

_

_Tonight we lie awake.  
Remember how the coffee made us shake on those long drives?  
One more long night.  
Another seven days.  
Heartbeat racing.  
The interstate, my home tonight.  
For one more long night._

_From coast to coast, I'll make the most,  
Of every second I've been giving with this crowd.  
Without a doubt, you're all I dream about.  
All night we lie awake,  
With stories taking us back to the nights we felt alive.  
The nights we felt alive._

_I would've married you in Vegas.  
Had you given me the chance to say "I do"  
Could I make it more obvious, could you  
Be any more obvious?_

_-Vegas (All Time Low)_

"BONES!" Booth yelled happily, running through the lab and sliding to a stop in her office, his hands slamming down on her desk as he looked at her with a huge smile on his face.

Brennan grabbed her coffee cup and held it up before he slammed his hands on her desk, and set it down once his palms were connected to the oak. "Yes Booth?"

"Jeez, at least make eye contact buzz kill," he teased, smiling wide when she looked up at him with a glare.

"Yes, Booth?" she asked again, faux sweetness touching her words as she held the hard glare in his direction.

"Get your coat."

"What?" Brennan asked flustered, shaking her head and nodding towards the paperwork scattered across her desk. "I have a lot of work to do Booth, I can't go anywhere."

"Yes you can, and you will," Booth stated happily, practically skipping to her coat rack, and pulling the light jacket from the hook. "Because, I have a surprise for you."

"You know I hate surprises."

"Yes, and I'm sure you're going to hate this in the beginning, but when you are forced to agree to my proposition you're going to have fun, trust me," he said, smiling and gathering up the paperwork in front of her, shoving it into her laptop case and throwing the case over his shoulder. "Come on Bones!"

"Booth, what the hell?" she asked, sliding her lab coat off and throwing it onto her couch before she ran after him. She stilled when they reached outside and her eyes roamed over the vintage red convertible waiting for them.

"Okay, what is this?"

"Now Bones, I know you're not that stupid, it's a car."

She shot another glare at him and crossed her arms over her chest "I know it's a car Booth, I mean why is it here?"

"Because Bones, I'm going to Vegas for a week for an FBI training seminar, and YOU are coming with me."

"Oh no I'm not," she brushed off, turning to walk back into the lab, but found Angela blocking her path with a big smile on her lips, and a bag of Brennan's sitting on her shoulder.

"Yes Sweetie, you are. You need a break, some time to relax. Besides, crimes have been slow, and Booth allowed you to bring your paperwork, and your laptop. You can work on your book or something while he's being all…sexy shooting at moving targets and blowing their chests out," Angela muttered, smiling dreamily as her imagination worked to her pleasure.

"Ha! See. Why would you pass up an opportunity to go on a road trip, to Las Vegas with your sexy partner?" Booth asked, smiling and setting her case in the back, his eyebrows raised towards the sky.

"Because I have work here," Brennan stated again, pointing to the ground at which she stood.

"No you don't Dr. Brennan," Cam said, coming to stand beside Angela. "You've worked nonstop for almost 4 years now. You deserve a vacation. Your days have already been put through; we'll see you next week."

Brennan's mouth fell open, and she looked between Cam and Angela, before Angela handed the bag at her shoulder to Brennan. "I snuck into your house and packed some clothes," the artist explained, smiling sheepishly at the anthropologist.

"Come on Bones," Booth pleaded, taking her bag with his charm smile, smiling and fist pumping the air the second she broke down and muttered. "Fine."

"Don't have too much fun now Sweetie!" Angela screamed as her friend opened the convertible door, and sat down in her seat.

"She's insinuating we're going to have sex," Brennan explained to Booth, who coughed nervously, and pulled at his collar.

"Well Bones, she always thinks we're going to have sex," Booth explained, jumping over the door and plopping into his seat, shoving the key into the ignition and revving the car up.

"I know. I don't understand her obsession with creating a romantic relationship between us. Maybe she should go talk to Sweets," she offered, putting her seat belt on and waving to Cam and Angela as Booth pulled out of the parking lot, and onto the roads leading out of D.C.

"It wouldn't help," he explained, smiling over at her as he watched her auburn hair whip around her face.

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Because everyone who knows us is obsessed with creating a romantic relationship between us," Booth laughed, sliding his sunshades over his eyes before turning his attention back to the road.

"I don't understand why. We hardly touch each other, and even though we spend a lot of time together, it isn't like we're secret lovers and they don't know about it," Brennan said, watching as the buildings of D.C. disappeared behind them.

"Because that's what they want us to be. They see us as potential for a huge romantic love story, so they all fantasize about us being together. Angela is probably the one that is the biggest fan about the secret lovers thing though."

"You think we have tension?" she asked in a small, breathy voice that he could hardly hear over the roar of the wind passing by them.

He looked at her, and blushed gently, turning to focus his attention on the road as he tried to explain himself. "Well Bones, yeah, I think we do. And I know you think so too. But we've been used to that tension for awhile now, so it doesn't really affect us as much as it did."

"It affects us sometimes Booth," Brennan pointed out, recounting the many 'moments' they had together over their years of knowing each other.

"Of course it does Bones, but this trip is not about tension, it's about having fun, so let's just have fun," Booth offered, pushing the subject away as quickly as he could, before he turned on the radio, and turned it to a satellite rock station the second they hit the highway towards the West Coast.

She smiled at him and leaned forward to turn the music up, making it her liberty to sing along with the songs they knew, eventually bringing Booth to sing his own solos, before jumping in fully to the song.

They laughed and smiled and sang along to every song they knew into the darkest depths of night. But once it hit midnight, Brennan found herself growing very drowsy, and she turned the music down before she reclined her chair back and rested her eyes.

Booth sipped on the coffee he had got them to keep them awake, and smiled as he saw a sign that said they had reached Saint Louis. He looked over to Brennan and his breath completely left his body at the sight of her sleeping form.

His smile fell to a gentle grin, and he was once again reminded how much he loved his woman, and how beautiful he thought she was.

She had fallen asleep soundly, and Booth took the exit into Saint Louis, searching for a motel for them to say at for the night.

He found on easily, in a safer district of town, and he quickly ran in to pay for their room and grab the keys. Returning to the car, be parked in front of their door, and brought the roof of the car over them, before turning the engine off.

He reached over, and instead of resting his hand on her shoulder to shake her awake, his wrist settled against the seat of the car, his fingers brushing lovingly through her hair.

She stirred gently, and her muscles tensed, her hands coming to rub her eyes before she opened the, and sat up slowly. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"Saint Louis. I got us a motel room so you won't have to take a turn and drive," he teased, smiling and getting out of the car before walking around to the other side and opening the door for her.

She stood and weakly punched his arm. "You never let me drive," she muttered, no fight in her voice as she swayed sleepily back and forth.

"Alright," Booth whispered, wrapping his arm around her back and bringing her into his side. "You're going to drop from exhaustion any minute. Let's get you inside."

Brennan smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, her arms coming around him with a smile. "You're comfortable," she murmured, burying her face deeper into his muscles, and taking a deep intake of his cologne.

"Well thank you," he laughed, leading her into the dark room, and closing the door behind them. "Sorry, but they only had one bed rooms."

"It's alright," she whispered "We've slept in the same bed before."

Booth nodded and cleared his throat, moving his arms from her and bringing his jacket from his arms.

"You're uncomfortable," Brennan observed quietly, sliding her jacket from her shoulders and sitting it on the table near the bed.

"Well, like you said earlier Bones, the tension still affects us some times."

"It's just sleeping Booth, how does that effect our tension?"

"It's...intimate Bones, sharing a bed."

"Not necessarily."

"Well in my mind it is."

"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?"

"No, no of course not."

"I think you're thinking about this too much."

"I think you're not thinking enough about this," Booth breathed out, plopping down on the edge of the mattress. "Bones, you can't say there isn't something else there between us. Even you must know that."

"I know you have romantic feelings towards me Booth, but I thought you moved on," Brennan whispered, sitting down beside him and brushing their shoulders. "What about Catherine?"

"I ended that a long time ago," he admitted, not allowing their eyes to meet. "I just couldn't make it work."

"Why couldn't you?"

"Because you were always still on my mind," Booth confessed, glancing at her before turning his gaze back to the patterns on the carpeted floor. "I felt like a complete dirt bag while I was with her."

"I…don't understand why."

"Because I could hold and kiss Catherine, but every time I looked into her eyes, I would think about looking into your eyes. I was using her, and I'm not that kind of guy. I've accepted that I'm probably never going to move on."

"Booth, you can."

"Yeah, I probably could, but the thing is I don't want to Bones. I look at you and see everything I want in life. I look at you and see a house near the park. I see a baby girl with curly auburn hair and bright blue eyes chasing after a puppy in the back yard, and I see you sitting in a window seat with coffee in your hand and an anthropology magazine in your lap as the sun sparkles off the rings on your left hand," his voice was a whisper as he took her left hand in his, and brushed his thumb across her ring finger.

Her eyes were flooding with tears and she felt scared to the point of paralysis, finding it impossible for her to move. "You…you see all that with me?"

"Yeah Bones, I do," he whispered, holding her hand tight in his. "It's a nice dream until I wake up and realize that, your dreams don't always come true."

"I think eventually you can come around, if you really wanted too," Booth explained, kissing her hand tenderly before giving it back to her. "But deep down I wonder if you really want to come around, or if you just want to stay alone behind those walls you've constructed so well."

"Booth-"

"We should get some sleep," he interrupted, moving from the edge of the bed to pull down the comforter and sheets. "We have to set off around seven."

"I'm sorry," she breathed shakily, her shoulder twitching gently as she tried to keep herself from crying from the realization of how much she truly was hurting him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Bones," Booth explained, kicking his shoes off, and taking off his jeans and shirt. "Just try and get some sleep."

Brennan could only nod, and slid her jeans from her hips, climbing into bed beside him, and rolling onto her side, her back towards him.

He eventually did the same, and pretended to fall asleep, his heart breaking as he listened to her barely there sobs, her hands pushing away tears that refused to stop falling.

He rolled towards her and rested his hand on her hip, pulling her back into his chest and hugging her tightly.

They didn't speak a word, but Brennan's tears stopped only minutes after his arms circled her, and she found herself falling asleep quickly, lulled by the rhythmic moving of his chest.

She didn't know this, but if she had just released her grip on rationality for one second, and allowed herself to fall into Booth's arms, he would have married her in Vegas, without a second thought in his head. Their consummation would have been the start of their daughter's life, graced with pale skin, curly auburn hair, and bright blue eyes. They would have moved in together to a house near the school, the park being right across the street, and they would have gotten their daughter Cristina a small white lab puppy for her 5th birthday.

But of course she didn't, and the next morning, they went through their days like nothing ever happened.


	18. Chasing The Night

_**An: told you it would be here. Some established Booth and Brennan relationship ness to help with the angstlash. XD**_

_**Next song...**_

_**Straight To Video (Mindless Self Indulgence)**_

* * *

_Sun sets and we're setting sail to another town._  
_Got all the windows down and the radio up._  
_Let's do it again, keep the rhythm with our hearts._  
_This is why we wake up, what it's all about._

_Let's turn this up a little bit louder.  
Keep singing along as the night gets longer._

_These are the days that we will always remember.  
Chasing the night to make our days better._

_-Chasing The Night (Every Avenue)_

He had known this woman for eight years of his life, and for six of those years, he had been able to tell when something was wrong.

Today was no exception.

He walked into the lab to see her, and she was scowling at her paperwork, her hand working fiercely as she scribbled something across the paper.

He moved to her office and rested his hand on her shoulder, his thumb tenderly brushing against the back of her neck, and bringing some of her tensed muscles to relax. She released a pleased sigh and he moved to stand behind her and massage her shoulders gently, leaning down to place a tender kiss to her cheek.

"How about we get out of here?"

She was confused as to why he didn't ask what was wrong with her, but she didn't argue, and was quite thankful that he didn't ask. It was an instant she didn't want to think about, let alone talk about.

He helped her out of her lab coat and rested his hand on her lower back as he guided her out of the lab and to his SUV.

He reached over and held her hand as he drove to her apartment, but at the last minute, he turned onto the highway that led towards Virginia.

"Booth, where are you going?" Brennan asked, her hand squeezing his alarmed.

"We're taking a break," Booth explained, bringing her hand to his lips, kisses being pressed to her knuckles gently. "We need to get away from D.C. for a couple days, so, we're just going."

"We don't have any clothes though."

"Yes we do. I have your overnight bag in here that you packed earlier remember? And I threw some of my clothes in my duffel before coming to get you," he stated, his eyes glimmering happily as his hand left hers for a second to turn the radio on.

He kept the volume low, and returned his hand to hers, his thumb stroking her soft skin lovingly and calmingly, making every bad thought leave her mind, and soon reducing her to a smiling figure humming to the song while moving her shoulders to the beat.

Booth smiled and held her hand into the air, loudly singing the next verse of the song and sending her to press back against her seat in a fit of laughter, both of them, smiling and half laughing, half singing, as they turned the volume up and allowed all of their worries to wash away.

They danced in their seats, and Booth lost control of the wheel once or twice, but they truthfully didn't care, and let the luxurious feeling of being free from everything take them away.

They eventually made their way into Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Booth pulled into an inn that looked more like an old mansion than anything else.

He grabbed their bags and held her hand as they walked inside, and bought a room for them for the night.

They climbed the stairs onto the next floor and opened the door to a very comfortable looking suite, colored with pale blues and purples to bring on the ultimate sense of relaxation.

Leaving their bags there, they decided to walk through the city, going and eating at a small diner before strolling through streets great leaders of their country strolled through themselves.

They laughed and teased, and raced, and rolled to the point of complete exhaustion, and Brennan took the liberty of using Booth's back as her own transportation for a few blocks.

She laughed into his ear as her legs locked around her torso, and she leaned forward to place a tender kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Booth."

"For what, Bones?" Booth asked, his arms under her knees, supporting her easily as he walked towards the inn.

"For taking me away when I needed it, and for not asking any questions," she explained, kissing his cheek again and again, before resting her head on his shoulder and sighing softly. "What are we going to do tomorrow, go home?"

"No, we're going to keep going," he whispered, kissing her arm softly as he jogged up the steps of the inn, and opened the door, ducking in and running quickly up to their room as to not wake anyone from their slumber.

They snuck through the door and the clock on the bedside table red "3:04". They laughed at the complete loss of time, and when Booth playfully threw Brennan onto the bed, she leaned up on her elbows to look at him. "What do you mean we're going to keep going?"

"We're going to keep going," Booth stated again, kicking his shoes off and pulling his shirt over his head. "We're going to go until we want to stop, and come back home."

"Do we have enough clothes for that?"

"Wherever we go we can buy clothes if we really need them," he explained, sliding his jeans to pool at his ankles, before he rested on the bed and brought his hands behind his head. "Sometimes we all just need to go, with no real preparation or destination in mind."

"That's reckless."

"That's fun."

She chuckled and slid her jeans down, before she rolled over and halfway rested herself over Booth's chest, her fingers brushing against his cheek, before they shared a soft laugh and connected their lips.

Their kiss started tender, but quickly grew passionate, Booth coming to hover over her, his chest pressing her deep into the mattress. Their fingers locked and her hands were pressed back near her head, his lips moving to attack her neck.

She smiled and laughed, his tongue tickling her skin, and bringing her to arch out of the mattress and press their bodies together.

"What are we doing?" she asked, pure happiness fogging her mind.

"We're chasing the night Bones," Booth whispered moving his hands from hers, to slide her shirt over her head. "To make our days better."

When Booth opened his eyes, he smiled the widest smile he had ever smiled in his life, and found it harder to breathe at the sight in front of him.

Brennan's calm face was directed towards him, the sheet they snuck under last night only coming to her lower back, and leaving the rest of the expanse of ivory for his eyes to roam over.

Their pillows had been thrown to the floor when they made love that night, and Brennan found her crossed arms a comfortable substitute, resting on her stomach as her back rose and fell slowly to her breathing.

Booth smiled and brushed her hair from her face, rolling over and bringing his arm to lock around her waist, before he brushed gentle kisses across her back.

She didn't wake, and he rested his cheek on her shoulder, smiling as he reminded himself that opening his eyes to see her sleeping form in the morning, was the reason he woke up for the day.


	19. Straight To Video

_**An: I really couldn't think of anything else to write with this song other than something coming from a killers' point of view. But in the end it worked, and there is some BB persepective in here. It's all good. ;)**_

_**Next song in the line up...**_

_**4 Minutes [Glee Cast Version] (Glee Cast)**_

_**I'm a gleek, get over it. XD**_

* * *

_I never noticed,_  
_No, never noticed,_  
_You're so amazing._  
_So oh amazing._

_I never said it,  
No, never said,  
You're suffocating.  
Suffocating._

_I never noticed,  
No, never noticed,  
Your beauty's fading,  
It's fa fa fading._

_-Straight To Video (Mindless Self Indulgence)_

I admired her skin more than anything. And her eyes. That's why I chose her. Not because of her social standing, or how famous or rich she was. I chose her for her skin, and for her eyes.

And I didn't understand how skin so flawless could hurt her when I touched it. Maybe she was just scared, scared of being tied up in this warehouse with only me as company.

I usually didn't admire this much, but I couldn't help it. I thought she was amazing, perfect even. She was beautiful, and it was truly a pity that a woman with such godly beauty, was going to be the next soul taken from this world.

The leather strip in my hand was trademark. It was always leather that was wrapped around the throats of my victims. Not any sort of fabric or wire, just leather; pure cut up cow. Tough and reliable.

"Why are you so scared?" I asked, my voice still raspy from where she punched me in the throat, but my fascination for her has since returned. My fingers run through her hair and she tilts in her seat, trying to get away from my grasp, and that angers me.

My fingers make their indentations around her jaw and I turn her face towards mine. She is gagged, and she cannot speak, but I speak through the eyes. I read their responses, not listen to them.

All I saw was anger and a glimmer of cocky hope that made me forcefully throw her to the side, and snap the leather strip threateningly.

"No one's going to find you here doll. I hope you realize that. This is out of all sorts of GPS range, your partner is going to be a genius like you to even get close to this location," I stated, deciding I want to hear her response, and removed the gag from her mouth.

She coughed and her tongue worked over her lips, trying to rehydrate her mouth before she glared at me, and her muscles tensed. "He'll find you. Whether that be before I'm dead or not, he'll find you. And he'll kill you."

"Well sweetie, like you, I'm not afraid of dying," I tease, winking at her before I stand strong before her with the leather strip stretched between my hands. "I've actually been told my God my life is going to be taken soon. So I thought I might as well take a few people down with me."

"I'm not in any way familiar with God, but I'm pretty sure the person you all rave about wouldn't be happy with the fact that you're taking the lives of innocent people over a dream that most likely isn't going to come true," she fought back and I advanced on her, groaning and finding my breath disappearing when she swiftly kicked my stomach, and tried to struggle from the bonds on her hands.

I threw the chair she was sitting in across the room, and the ropes snagged on a nail, decreasing the strength of the bonds and allowing her to pull apart, and try to scramble for the door.

But I reach her first, and I fall on her, sitting on her back and crushing her while bringing the leather across her throat, and crossing the ends behind her neck, tugging until she was coughing and clawing at the leather strip, along with me.

Her skin was paling, and her eyes were too. Her eyes were becoming molten, and sadness floated through me at the destruction of the two things I loved most about her.

I didn't understand it though., how he found us, but within the next second of laying my eyes on him, a bullet shot through my torso, and I was sent falling back, pain paralyzing me before the blood loss took my life.

From beyond the world I watched, and his strong hands stayed gentle as he completely pulled the leather from her throat and rolled her onto her back. His hand came to her cheek and he called her 'Bones'. He said that name over and over again, until she started coughing and gripped hard onto his arm.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and he bent down, hugging her to his chest tightly while running his fingers through the auburn tendrils my fingers had been in.

But she allowed him to touch her, and I had to wonder if these partners had something more.

He placed gentle kisses to her head and practically sobbed before her, holding her in a death grip that made me wonder if he would kill her next.

But he didn't, and she simply brought her arms around his neck, allowing him to lift her up off the dirty floor, and carry her from the warehouse overgrown with vegetation.

An ambulance was waiting, and he slid into the back with her, placing her on a gurney and holding her hand tightly between his as the EMT's fed her oxygen, and checked her vitals.

She was fine, and distain stung in my blood through my time in the afterlife. She slipped from my grasp, but there was truth in purpose in my dream. I was told my life was soon going to be taken…

…and once I decided to mess with that beautiful anthropologist, her little boyfriend was out for my blood.

He succeeded.


	20. 4 Minutes

_**An: Baaaaaaaaah okay, here's the next installment. I'm obviously trying to rock this out as quick as I can since I have 740+ songs to do. Bahahaha! :)**_

_**Next song...**_

_**Time Lapse Lifeline (Maria Taylor)**_

* * *

_Come on, boy,_  
_I've been waiting for somebody_  
_To pick up my stroll._

_Well, don't waste time,  
Give me a sign,  
Tell me how you want to roll._

_I want somebody to speed it up for me,  
Then take it down slow,  
There's enough room for both._

_Well, I can handle that,  
You just gotta show me here it's at.  
Are you ready to go?_

_-4 Minutes [Glee Cast Version] (Glee Cast)_

Somehow they collided forces, and she couldn't be happier.

They both were being flirtatious, and eventually their alcohol consumption threw them together in full force, finding their way back to Booth's apartment where they consummated their relationship for the first time.

It was sloppy, but still amazing, and they found themselves very pleased afterwards. They cuddled together and fell asleep in each other arms.

And when they awoke they stayed together. Brennan didn't run, and Booth didn't allow her to push him away. They spent an hour talking about what happened, and eventually decided to give their relationship a try, and within the first few weeks Brennan was sure it was the best relationship she had ever had.

They were real with each other, and their company; like usual; was never a bad thing. They alternated apartments every time they were going to spend the night with each other, and Brennan had to admit, that their love making made her weak at the knees.

It was passionate, and gentle, and slow at one time, and then fast, hard and disorienting the next. It was amazing and the sheer thought of it made her spine tingle in pleasure.

She smiled when she stood from her office chair and saw Booth moving his way to her office, a small glimmer in his eyes as he smiled and laughed gently before moving into her office and wrapping his arms around her back.

"Hey Bones," he greeted, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. "How have you been?"

"Alright," she muttered, her arms tightening around his neck as she brought her lips to his again. "But I'm better now."

"Oh really? Missed me that much?" he teased, leaning forward and bringing their lips together again, their tongues fighting deliciously between their mouths.

"Mmm," she groaned happily, smiling and hugging him tightly, their mouths fighting again "I did," she stated, her fingers running into his hair and tugging.

Booth smiled and ran his hands under her shirt and up her back, pressing her back against her desk and curling her tongue with his. "Maybe we should take your lunch break a little bit early," he offered, his fingers dancing across her spine.

"I could," she teased, pressing her hand into his chest and pushing him back "but I do have a lot of work here to do."

She smiled and winked, throwing her lab coat over her shoulders before she moved to the platform, sashaying her hips a little bit more than normal, shooting a look over her shoulder that shot electricity through Booth's body.

Her teeth teasingly bit her lip and she laughed, sliding her card and allowing her onto the platform. She laughed when he quickly followed after her and his hands came to sit on her hips.

"Come on baby," he whispered brushing his lips across her neck "You can't just leave me hanging."

"I can," Brennan argued, turning and resting her hand on his chest. "I can go to lunch in 15 minutes, you can wait until then."

"I don't know about all that," he teased, leaning forward and kissing her deeply, bringing her arms around him again, and bringing her back to arch.

"Alright, alright," Cam said, clapping her hands together and sending the partners away from each other. "Either get a room, or control yourselves you two. I will get the ice water."

They chuckled and nodded Brennan turning back to skeleton and analyzing in silence before she checked her watched and looked up to Cam. "I believe it's time for me to take my lunch break."

Cam smirked and laughed, shaking her head slowly. "Alright Dr. Brennan, you don't have to inform me."

"Well truthfully I was going it more for Booth's sake seeing as how he can't seem to sit still," she said, taking her file and hitting him on the head with it.

"Well why don't you take him home and calm him down," Cam said, "Just don't have too much fun."

Booth blushed and stood up, running his hands down his front before he coughed and her hands grabbed hold of his tie, leading him from the platform and out the door; lab coat and all.

"Are you ready?" she asked, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck, jumping up into his arms and locking her legs around his waist.

"Mmhmm," he growled his appreciation, attacking her lips again before he got to his SUV, and opened the passenger door. He sat her on her seat, and he placed gentle suckling kisses down her throat. "Whose house is closer?"

"Mine," she answered, turning in her seat and allowing him to shut the door before running over to the driver's side and eagerly hopping in.

"Then your house it is," he assured, turning the Suburban on and leaning over to steal one last kiss before he flipped on the sirens and tore through the highway.

It only took them four minutes to get there.


	21. Time Lapse Lifeline

_**An: Short, sweet, and to the point...Well not really sweet, but who the fuck cares anymore. I'm giving you the next installment so WORSHIP ME! heheh just kidding.**_

_**The next song in the line up is...**_

_**Everyday Combat (Lostprophets)**_

* * *

_Oh we dreamed a life,_  
_It was just like that, was like that,_  
_And just like that, and just like that it's done._

_Oh we dreamed a life,  
It was just like that, was like that,  
And just like that, and just like that it's done._

_-Time Lapse Lifeline (Maria Taylor)_

He always thought back to that dream when he was about to fall asleep, the spark he felt when her fingers brushed against his stomach, her arms coming around him tightly.

He remembered the feel of her lips on his; how soft her skin was under his hands as he brought her tank top over her head; the beautiful contrast of her black lacy bra against her pale ivory skin; the dark blue color of her passion darkened eyes, God he remembered it all, painfully.

He remembered how tight she squeezed him when he was inside her, and he remembered how breathy her moans were against his ear.

He remembered how she cried out when she broke, and how tightly she held onto him afterward.

He remembered how perfectly her cheek fit into the curve of his shoulder and how soft her hair was when he ran his fingers through the auburn tendrils.

He remembered kissing her soft, plump lips over and over again in simple, tender kisses as she grew tired in his arms, and began to fall asleep to the beat of his heart.

He remembered how soft her breathing was when she fell asleep, and he remembered how her arms tightened around his stomach when she finally fell into the dark abyss.

And then he remembered waking up to see her face looking down at him, but he wasn't in their room anymore, he was in a hospital, and the lights were blinding around her beautiful form.

She seemed happy, like he had been gone for weeks without a word and finally came back. She released the sweetest of laughs when she smiled and whispered: "You're awake."

But this woman didn't seem like the Brennan he knew. She seemed different and both of his worlds seemed to collide. Which world was he in in the first place? Was this woman looking down at him his partner, or was she his wife?

Was this woman his 'just friend' when he knew that was a lie, or was this woman his open 'I love you' wife that had just told him she was carrying his baby?

He whispered her a simple question, and he knew the second she released that choked sob she took it the wrong way. "Who are you?"

He could have sworn that she was his wife, the way she looked at him, and the way she felt such pain at his loss of knowing what was right.

But in the end, their perfect world had just been a dream.

A gentle beat on the time lapse lifeline.


	22. Everyday Combat

_**An: It's short and didn't make much sense to me, but it was what I thought off reading the lyrics. Eh what ever.**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**It's Just Me (Escape The Fate)**_

* * *

_Times up, let's go, all that we know,_  
_Release tension, you're my hero,_  
_After dark, terror in the town high street,_  
_And I know you can't stop full throttle,_  
_Get involved mate, broken bottle,_  
_(Invasion) Panic on the cold concrete._

_So raise your glass my son,  
We're telling everyone…_

_Living in everyday combat,  
Day to day, commuter riot,  
Shot down, dancing in the DMZ.  
(And we) Walk on, streets on fire,  
Caged in with razor wire,  
Shot down, living in the DMZ,  
Living in the DMZ._

_-Everyday Combat (Lostprophets)_

"Booth?" Wendell muttered, his hands clenching as he walked through the dark, dangerous streets. "What are we doing here?"

"Going to a bar my friend."

"But, this place is really dangerous don't you think?" Wendell muttered, staying close to Booth and eyeing everyone moving through the shadows suspiciously.

"Only if you let yourself think it is," Booth argued, opening the door to an unnamed building, and stepping inside of the packed place, easily moving to the bar and nodding to the bartender, two beers appearing in front of him immediately.

"Why do you like drinking here?"

"Best beer."

"What about the Founding Fathers?"

"That's an after case thing; this is a casual drinking thing."

"Are you sure we're safe here?"

"Not at all, but that shouldn't scare you," Booth said, nodding to Wendell, and rolling his eyes once he stood and turned around to see a big burly man, arms crossed over his chest, his finger tapping against Booth's shoulder.

"You Booth?"

"Yes I am," he said, standing up and looking straight into the man's eyes "How may I help you?"

"You can pay me back the fifty bucks you scammed from me last week," the man growled, his hands clenching tightly.

"I didn't scam anything from you man, I simply played the game," Booth growled, turning and looking at Wendell who had a whole different kind of scared look in his eyes.

The man slammed his hand on Booth's shoulder, pulling him from his chair and turning him around, but right as he was about to hit Booth, he ducked and took his beer bottle slamming it into his temple and sending the large man falling to the floor.

Booth smiled and nodded to the bartender, taking another beer and putting it into the air. "Here's to the shit heads who think they can mess with a man who spent weeks in the DMZ. And here's to all the fuck ups who always think they will win."

Everyone in the bar cheered and Wendell had to assume this man lying at Booth's feet was like a school yard bully, and the intern smiled when he heard one man say "That dude's my hero," before taking billiard balls and placing them in the rack.

Booth nodded and stripped off his jacket, taking his beer with him and moving to the pool table, he tapped his knuckle on the wood and brought the pool stick into his hands, brushing the chalk over the top before nodding and throwing a fifty on the table. "Break me in."

"Booth," Wendell growled, walking over and grabbing Booth's arm. "Are you gambling again?"

Booth shrugged and leaned down, breaking the formation and shooting one of the striped balls into the pockets. "I've done a lot of things I regret since she said no," was all he whispered before he moved around the billiard table and shot another striped ball into the pocket.


	23. It's Just Me

_**An: Gah super short, and I'm sorry about that, but like I said, why string out something that can simply be put into few words? The feelings are there, that's all you really need right?**_

_**Yeah I'm pathetic. I'm just making excuses because I'm tired, and protein shakes are nasty so I'm probably going to be tired until I find a protein substitute (I've been vegetarian for 5 months, just now feeling the effects)**_

_**Ahhhh sucks! And I have to give a speech tomorrow, since I'm running as a PIE rep for class officers (Partners in Education = PIE btw)**_

_**So yeah, wish me luck on that, and look out for the next chapter of The Catalyst, and the next chapter of this story, which is going to be written to the song...**_

_**Playing With Fire (Emery)**_

* * *

_I'm creeping my way out so you can see me._  
_I'm crawling my way around 1,000 cities._  
_You all stop and stare; I don't need your pity._  
_I'm living my life in this hell._

_Now I'm crawling away because the stress has killed me.  
I feel like I fell from a 10 story building.  
Best run and hide before the devil starts her bidding,  
I'm living my life in this hell._

_I'm not one for the crowd to see.  
It's just me,  
It's just…_

_-It's Just Me (Escape The Fate)_

I feel like a puppet. A marionette dancing to her strings, as she stands up above me hidden from sight with an insightful look in her eyes while she makes me dance whatever way she wants me too.

I seem to have no free will anymore, now that she knows how deep of a grave I have dug for myself.

She'll make these little moves, and I catch them every time, and every time they drive me absolutely insane.

Her beautiful doe eyes will widen and her eyes will flicker across my face, and I know she's glancing at my lips, silently wishing for me to kiss her, but when I move in closer, she will metaphorically take a step back, or we'll be interrupted, and then she'll pretend to forget what she wants.

She'll pull me by my necktie through confusion and pain and desire and want and need and I wonder deep down if she really cares.

But then I see how sad her eyes are when she sees me wearing that Army uniform, and I know she does.

I know she's going through the same thing.

My hands are locked into hers and I'll pulling her through confusing lands that are frightening her like a little kid would be frightened being taken through a haunted house. I tell her everything is going to be fine, but the way she feels make her think otherwise.

Maybe to her, she's the puppet, and I'm the puppet master.


	24. Playing With Fire

_**An: Three words: Emery Equals Love! :)**_

_**Next song in the line up:**_

_**Airplanes (B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)**_

* * *

_So let's decide who can survive,_  
_Stomping feet and racing beats,_  
_Of hearts that don't ever slow._  
_Then I'll write my letters on white paper,_  
_Expressing my deep disappointment._

_Dripping where I stand, from my watery hands,  
Hoping to get past the open bedroom door,  
Where her clothes on the floor,  
Remind me of our conversations.  
The feeling of slight hesitation;  
To turn out the lights._

_14 days now since we started,  
To complicate the situation.  
I'm not hiding,  
I'm just buying some time for us to find the back door.  
We will come out when it's safe for us._

_When it's safe for us.  
When it's safe for us._

_-Playing With Fire (Emery)_

"Booth I don't understand," she spat, her arms crossing over her chest as he sat on his couch, his ankle crossed over his knee. "Why do we have to keep this a secret?"

"Because Bones, I know the way Hacker feels about you, and us coming out about what is going on right now is NOT a good idea. He'll split us up quicker than you can blink, and I'm not loosing you as my partner."

"I think you regret this," Brennan whispered, her saddened eyes falling to her crossed arms, before meeting his.

"And why would I ever regret anything with you?" Booth whispered, immediately standing up and stepping towards her, his hand coming to rest comfortingly on her hip.

"Well Booth, you have to admit, we didn't start off in this romantic, love drunk charade that you always envisioned would be the beginning of our relationship…"

**14 Days Earlier**

It was raining, they were soaked, and he was tense, angered at his partner as he threw open his apartment door and stormed inside, tearing his suit jacket away from him and throwing it haphazardly into the laundry room.

"Booth, that's going to wrinkle."

"Bones," he growled, turning around and looking at her, his eyes blazing "Don't. Talk."

"Why not? You should know me enough by now to know that I won't stop talking just because someone wants me too. If I have something to say, or something I want to do, I'm going to go through with it."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means Bones, now you're doing it on purpose," Booth spat, taking a step forward and coming to glare darkly down at her. "You're doing it all on purpose."

Her arms crossed over her chest and she looked up at him with a competitive look, a small, cocky smirk gracing the beautiful lips he so desperately wanted to kiss away. "Oh, and what exactly am I doing on purpose?"

"I saw you tonight Bones. You glanced over to me before you kissed him. You wanted me to see, because you wanted me to be jealous. You're too scared to actually admit to yourself that you want something with me, so you go on and try to reel me in closer," he murmured, stepping even closer so that her crossed arms brushed against his chest. "But see, even being this close, you'll push me away."

"Yes I will," Brennan huffed, placing her hands on his chest and pushing him back "You have no right-"

"I have no right?" Booth demanded, laughing and throwing his head back, stepping back and pointing a rain dripping finger to the beautiful woman. "You have no right to be so heartless as to take what I feel for you and use that to your advantage. You've already ripped MY heart from my chest, and now you can't help but dance on it."

"Booth, even though I possess the skill to physically rip someone's heart out, I have not done so to you, for you're still alive," she rationalized, gasping when his hands locked onto her hips and pulled her forward, crushing her against him so that his lips could move against her ear.

"Cut the rational shit," he growled "I know you aren't that stupid, you just play the part. Like a fucking Broadway actor, but now sweetheart, you have to take off that mask and tell me the truth. If not, I'm gone."

"What truth?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound hard, but failing miserably as his breath brushed against her skin and she shivered hard against him.

"Do you want me?"

"I'm not answering that question," Brennan demanded, pushing away from him, but found his arm locked around her lower back, and despite her efforts, she wasn't going anywhere.

"I can get my own answer thank you," he growled, moving forward quickly and capturing her lips with his, their tongues melding together and fighting viciously within seconds of the first press of their lips.

His hand fisted in her hair and he pulled away, keeping her away from him before he smirked and opened his mouth to speak. "Now I'm going to ask again. Temperance Brennan, do you want me?"

"Is this a good enough answer for you?" She asked, her voice dripping poison as her hands slid across his chest and she tore open his shirt, buttons flying away from the couple as their lips collided again.

"Hell yes," Booth groaned, turning and pressing her back against the wall, his hands sliding up her bare legs to fist her dress at her waist.

**Present Day**

"Bones," Booth whispered, his hand coming to rest against her cheek lovingly, smiling and brushing his thumb under her eye when she leaned her head into his hand. "Even if we didn't start off with roses and candles and five star restaurants, we mellowed out to the comfortable relationship we're in now; and I couldn't be happier."

She looked up at him with interest and tilted her head, her hand rising to circle his wrist. "Really?"

Booth laughed and took her hand, walking backwards and bringing her to straddle his lap. "Really? Yes really! Bones being your partner, best friend and lover all at the same time is so amazing; it's more than I ever thought it could be. And I don't think it's safe to come out with the knowledge of us being together right now. I don't want to lose this."

Brennan laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly and humming happily. "I do agree that our interpersonal relations are…phenomenal."

"Interpersonal relations?" he asked with a smile, unexpectedly flipping her onto her back and bringing himself to hover over her. "Don't you mean our kissing," he whispered, pressing his lips to her neck. "And our love making?"

She arced into him and brought her nails to scratch down his back, her fingers gathering his shirt and pulling it over her head. "That…is exactly what I mean."


	25. Airplanes

_**An: I know, I'm skimping out on my other stories with this story and The Catalyst, but I promise I'll work on it, it's just I love writing to songs and I have a good story line in my head for The Catalyst that I don't want to go away. Don't think I'm adandoning anything though, they will come eventually. ;)**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**Baby Blue Eyes (A Rocket To The Moon)**_

* * *

_Can we pretend that airplanes,_  
_In the night sky,_  
_Are shooting stars?_  
_I could really use a wish right now._  
_A wish right now._  
_A wish right now._

_-Airplanes (B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)_

She always sat on the sandy shores of Maluku once her job was finished for the day and everyone else had gone to bed. She had made sure to stay away from the venomous creatures, and found her eyes always directed up to the night sky as high tide washed onto the shore and the water tickled at her toes.

This was her time to think; her time to unwind. The time she needed at the end of every day to just unload everything that she kept pent up in her body from the days before.

With her eyes turned upwards, she watched as airplanes blinked across the sky and she felt a tear trek down her skin.

She wished so desperately for that airplane to be a shooting star, so she could make a wish and it would come true. But like the first wish she wished in her head, that will never be true, and just like the second wish she longed for, it also is only an irrational, outspoken hope.

Wishes aren't real. You can't hope for something and magically expect it to happen. Life doesn't work that way. You have to work for it; offer up your blood, sweat and tears, and with the passing nights, Brennan was sure she had the tears covered,

She ducked her head and brought her forehead to her hands, tears slipping silently from her eyes as her chest ached for her partner. She didn't know if he was alive, or if he had been hurt, and she woke up worried every morning, hoping that he would be safe for just one more day.

She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to see him. She wanted to hold him, and she wanted to be held, tight in his arms; the one place she felt truly safe, and dare she say complete.

A soft sob broke her lips, but was immediately drowned out by the ocean waves, her back shaking as she cried.

"Bones," she heard a soft whisper say, and she immediately cried harder, willing herself to not hallucinate, but when she felt a strong hand on her shoulders, she looked up, and gasped as the tears started slipping away from her eyes.

She immediately stood up, but stood in front of him, shaking against the need of wrapping her arms around him. "Booth, what are you doing here?"

"I was sent home because I couldn't focus. They thought I was becoming detrimental to the soldier's safety, and I agreed whole heartedly, so I bought a plane ticket here to see you, instead of one to Washington," Booth explained, settling his army bag down in the sand, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek. "Why are you crying Bones? Has something happened? Are you hurt?"

"No…I just," she tried speaking, but her voice wavered and she simply walked into his arms, burying her face in his chest and releasing a strangled sob. "I just really missed you."

His lips touched her temple and his hand rolled down her hair tenderly, the soft noises leaving his throat soothing her crying. "Bones, it's alright. I'm here. You don't have to miss me anymore. I'm right here."

"I know Booth, it's just that…every night for months I've come here," Brennan whimpered, pushing away from him and sweeping her arm in indication of the area they were in "To cry because I've pent up all my worry for the day. I can't stop the tears and I tell myself I'm going to stop but they just keep coming. I wake up worried, I work worried, and I sleep worried. I'm always scared I'm…going to lose you forever. Booth, you're a hero and I…I can't lose you. Not again, not ever."

"Temperance, what are you saying?" Booth asked; his throat closing as her confession spilled from her lips, and he was completely caught off guard.

She advanced forward and wrapped her hand around his nape, crushing his lips to hers and resting her free hand over his rapidly beating heart. Their tongues fought violently, and Booth felt Brennan's hand lower towards the hem of his tan army shirt.

"Stay with me," she whispered, her forehead resting against his as they gained the oxygen that they had deprived themselves of. "We don't have to worry about work, or about what other people are going to think, we can just stay on this island for the rest of my stay and worry only about us."

"Temperance," he growled on a soft breath, his hand coming to cradle her face before he kissed her deeply and poured every ounce of passion he felt for her into the movement of their mouths, "That sounds amazing."

They made love that night, on the sandy beaches of Maluku and the waves gently brushed around them; acting as warm blankets for the couple, their soft post coital breaths brushing together as their lips move lazily with their partner.

They stayed together through the whole seven months Brennan had to stay; and every night they watched the sunset together on the beach. Sometimes they walked and talked, other times they laid out a blanket and cuddled together; her head on his chest as his fingers ran through her hair.

Many of those nights they shattered the laws of physics and everyone working closely with Brennan became huge fans of the couple, the women swooning over the romantic notions, and the men congratulating Booth for being with such a successful and beautiful woman.

But to them, no one else mattered. Their voices and declarations were lost on them, because every time their eyes met, they felt the rest of the world fade away and they felt safe, dare they say complete.


	26. Baby Blue Eyes

_**An: I went swimming today and I'm so tired, I don't know how I'm going to stay awake past 10 o'clock because I really wanna watch Paranormal Activity with Lindsey but I don't know if that's going to work out :P**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**What's My Age Again (Blink 182)**_

* * *

_My eyes are no good blind without her,_  
_The way she moves I never doubt her._  
_When she talks she somehow creeps into my dreams._  
_She's a doll, a catch, a winner;_  
_I'm in love and no beginner,_  
_Could ever grasp or understand_  
_What she means._

_Baby, baby blue eyes,  
Stay with me by my side,  
Until the morning, through the night.  
Baby, stand here holding my sides,  
Close your baby blue eyes.  
Every moment feels right,  
And I may feel like a fool,  
But I'm the only one, dancing with you._

_-Baby Blue Eyes (A Rocket To The Moon)_

Booth smiled when he saw Brennan tear through the hallways, her body tensed in her anger before she threw open the door to his office and immediately placed her hands on her hips. "Who the hell harvested the soil samples at the crime scene? They're horribly done and incapable of gathering ANY information!"

"Bones calm down, like the Jeffersonian, our departments are educational. We had a new guy with the lab techs and he was practicing. It was his first time, and we had a professional collect his own sample and place it downstairs in the evidence lockers," Booth explained, curling his fingers and beckoning her to come closer.

She did as he asked and he smiled, turning in his chair and bringing her easily into his lap, his arms coming around her and his chin resting on her shoulders. He kissed her neck tenderly and hugged her tightly. "You should go to a spa Bones."

"And why should I do that?"

"You need to relax," he said, bringing her legs to stretch across his lap, and moving her to curl closer into his chest. Her head was guided to his shoulder and he ran his fingers through her hair. "You work too much."

"I work just enough for things to truly get done," Brennan retaliated, curling comfortably into his chest and closing her eyes as his fingers ran through the soft tendrils of her hair.

"You work too much Bones, trust me," Booth whispered, kissing her forehead gently. "This weekend is going to be a work free weekend, and we're just going to relax."

"Mmm," she murmured, smiling and pressing her lips to his neck, sucking softly on the tender skin. "You and I relaxing this weekend…together…sounds wonderful."

"It does doesn't it? All we need are some candles, some champagne and our bed, and we will be set," he growled, envisioning their weekend while running his free hand up and down her thigh.

She chuckled gently and rested her hand on his cheek as she placed tender kisses across his neck. "I should probably get going. I need to get back to the lab," Brennan groaned, sitting up and sighing.

Booth smiled and stood up, handing her a form that was sitting on top of his desk. "This will get you the evidence the professional harvested," he explained, smiling and bringing her into his arms once her fingers closed on the piece of paper. "I'll pick you up later tonight, maybe we can pick up some take out before heading home," he finished, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Alright," she whispered, running her fingers across the stubble sitting along his jaw and kissing his lips gently before stepping back and moving out of his office. "WHO'S GETTING MY EVIDENCE?"

"Jesus," one of the rookie agents said, walking into Booth's office to give him a file. "I would hate having her as my partner."

"I'm sure you weren't thinking that when you were eyeing her at the crime scene," Booth hissed, grabbing the file out of the younger agent's hands and opening it angrily.

"Don't get mad at me Booth. I'm just stating my opinion, I don't understand how you can stand that woman, let alone date her. She must be more a man in the bedroom than you are."

Booth advanced on the younger kid and backed him against the wall, his eyes a dark black as the insult against his partner burned in his chest. "Listen here kid. I can make your life easy, or I can make it hell. Now I suggest you keep your mouth shut about my partner and learn to be respectful or I will hand your testicles to you on a silver platter. Got it?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Good, now get the fuck out of here. Don't come back here unless you learned to keep your thoughts to yourself," he growled, throwing the kid out of his office, before walking out into the hall, finding Brennan arguing heavily with an agent.

"I'm working a federal murder investigation. I'm sure that's more important than talking of our sex life to your girlfriend, so I suggest you keep it in your pants until I get my evidence," Brennan demanded, poking the agent's chest hard.

"Bones," Booth said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and nodding to the elevator "I'll get it for you."

"That lets him be incompetent, he should do it."

"He's never going to stop being incompetent Bones, let's just go," Booth explained, guiding her to the elevators and pushing the 'down' button.

"Bitch," the man groaned and Booth smiled, turning around and throwing his fist into the man's nose, shaking out the pain in his knuckles after hearing a sickening crack and the man's blood splattered onto his hand.

Blood was dripping from the agent's palms, his fingers holding onto his broken nose as tears as moved down his cheeks and he sobbed. "What the hell was what for man?"

"To warn you," Booth growled, moving to Brennan and wrapping his arms around her shoulders again, bringing her into his side and smiling as she placed a gentle kiss against his neck. "Mess with my Bones again, I'll gladly take this outside, and completely disfigure your face."

The two rookie agents harassed by Booth looked at each other in fear, looking to a veteran officer for some sort of explanation.

"You kids would be better off to listen to him," the veteran agent said, nodding to the couple bringing their lips together as the elevator doors closed. "He's loved that woman for years, and would take the life of anyone who messed with her without hesitation, and without regret."


	27. What's My Age Again?

_**An: This was a little bit hard, but I finally got it. And I'm sorry for not updating this as much as I could, but I was obviously being a crack head with The Catalyst, but now I'm working on catching up with all my other stories. And I only have to go to school for 45 minutes tomorrow! :)**_

_**The next song in the line up is...**_

_**We Sleep Forever (Aiden) [AKA MOST EPIC SONG OF ALL TIME]**_

* * *

_That's about the time she broke up with me,_  
_No one should take themselves so seriously._  
_With many years ahead to fall in line,_  
_Why would you wish that on me?_  
_I never want to act my age._  
_What's my age again?_  
_What's my age again?_

_-What's My Age Again (Blink 182)_

It was Saturday, and the sun rising over the sky was hot and menacing. But no less, the Jeffersonian team with the addition of Booth moved through the park against the hot humid air.

"Booth," Brennan called when he walked through the grass over to where Brennan sat with Cam and Angela on a picnic table.

"What's wrong big guy?" Cam asked, noticing the angered demeanor settled on her friend's shoulders.

"Yeah and where's your little friend?" Angela asked, smiling and shrugging her shoulder in her usual teasing way.

"I broke up with her. I couldn't take it anymore," Booth growled, running his hands over his face and shaking his head. "She was probably the most BORING woman I have ever met. All she wanted to do was read and complain about the drama at work. That will be last time I ever date an accountant from a small firm."

Brennan released a sigh that could only be defined as relief, and she smiled weakly at Booth. "What went wrong?" she asked quietly, bringing her water bottle to her lips and drinking the clear liquid quickly.

"Apparently I'm immature for my age, because I would rather have fun instead of sit in a parlor reading some book I can't understand and speaking in a British accent," he grumbled sarcastically, shaking his head. "You know, I'm 39 years old, but I'm not ready to slow down."

"I find that you're surprisingly active for a man of your age," Brennan assured, smiling at him softly. "Someone with basic reasoning skills would never want to diminish that."

"Thanks Bones," Booth said with a smile, looking to Angela who nodded and held her glass up.

"I agree, whole heartedly. Do what you want to do Booth, and if that includes streaking through the lab I won't complain."

"Hey!" Hodgins yelled from the grill, narrowing his eyes at Angela who smiled a sweet smile and waved.

"I love you Hodgy!"

"Yeah yeah," he huffed, shaking his head and flipping over the burgers sizzling before him.

Booth smiled and straightened, walking over to the table with all the food set out and taking one of the many cool whip containers out that he had brought. "You know, you guys are right. If I want to streak through the lab I will. If I want to have coffee at 11 at night, and drink beer at 8 in the morning I will, and if I want to smear whipped cream on Bones," he said, opening the tab and dipping his hands into the soft white condiment, reaching over and sliding it across her neck. "Then I will."

The cold, frothy food stung at her heated skin and she smiled evilly, bringing her hand to her neck and wiping the cool whip away, before she stood up and lunged for Booth smearing it right across his face and bringing him to drop the container right into her hands as he fell to the ground.

"Remember Booth that reckless behavior does have its consequences," she said with a smile, moving to turn away but he rolled up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down to the ground and smearing the rest of the cool whip in the container across the skin he could see.

She laughed and thrashed under him, squeezing his side and sending him flying off of her, giving her time to run to the table and take out another one of the containers, gaining a palm full of cool whip that she launched into his face, hitting with a sickening smack.

"Ouch," Hodgins laughed, shaking his head at the two partners running through the grass and throwing whipped cream at each other, stopping when the once full containers where empty and the two were out of breath.

"You know you two are going to clean that up," Angela said, laughing and shaking her head at the display.

Booth smiled and wrapped his arms around Brennan's waist, pulling her back against his chest and shrugging his shoulder gently. "Fine with me," he muttered, licking Brennan's cheek teasingly before running away when she turned around to hit him.

She laughed and brushed off the cleared skin, "Gross," she said between laughs, screaming when Booth snuck up behind her and lifted her off the ground. "Jesus Booth! Put me down."

He turned her so that she settled in his arms with her knees rested over his forearm, her back supported by the other, her arms coming around his neck unknowingly. "You're very hyperactive today."

"No Bones, I'm just happy to be alive," he whispered, leaning forward and licking more of the whipped cream from her neck, this time more tender and meaningful, than teasing.


	28. We Sleep Forever

_**An: Two down, and one to go before I feel completely redeemed for being such a chapter misser. XD**_

_**Love this song to death, and I tried to make this situation in character as possible, but I don't know how I actually did with it. XD Bahah!**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**Young (Hollywood Undead)**_

* * *

_She cuts the blade although it's much too dull;_  
_I say she's all alone._  
_Fighting for redemption,_  
_I know little pain, a little lust;_  
_I lose myself at night to feel the rush,_  
_Of tearing my skin apart._  
_Now take this sadness and close your eyes love._

_-We Sleep Forever (Aiden)_

She had never shown them to anybody, and she had never let them be seen, always hidden against her stomach or under her blue lab coat; the memories she's engraved into her skin a constant reminder of how low the hell of a life she had set her.

She put no stock in psychology partly because of these memories, because she doesn't want to face the fact that she was once weak, and unable to be helped; her only outlet being a single, rusted, dulled knife.

_I had seen it before, and truthfully I didn't know how it helped, but at this point anything would help._

_Stumbling in that dirty, god forsaken kitchen with my twisted ankle and sore leg wasn't easy, but I managed to see everything around me, despite the blood pouring from my head and into my eyes._

_It just sat there, like any inanimate object would, but this was different. I was drawn, like a kid to an intricately designed doll._

_It was dirty, rusted, old, and terribly, terribly dull. I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew the pain I gave to myself would make it all stop. The thoughts would stop, the tears would stop, and pain would stop, but only for a second._

_A second was all I needed though. I needed a chance to breath._

_The handle of that knife pressed into my palm, and I remembered seeing the reflection of the moon around the rusted parts of the metal, before my shaky arm was settled on the counter, and in one swift movement I stabbed it into my arm._

_I remember my arm jolting back against the pain and I remember the knife clattering against the floor, my blood splattering across the horribly kept tile floors and I stood looking at it in my own drunken shock._

_My heated blood pooled in my hand and the pain paralyzed me, but only for a second, before I limped to my bedroom, grabbed a bag of my things and opened my bedroom window, my trail of blood staining my path before I ran to my safety._

She shivered and jumped when she felt a hand on her arm, and she looked over with scared eyes to see Booth kneeling next to her with concern in his eyes.

"Just one of those days?" he asked tenderly, his hand cradling the arm that held a scar that brought forth in her the thickest of disappointment.

"You know, I never used to be rational Booth," she whispered, gasping when he peeled back her arm from her stomach, and he leaned forward, placing a kiss over the raised scar before straightening up to place a loving kiss to her temple, completely out of character for 'just partners', but too reassuring to actually raise an immediate threat.

Booth stood and he brought her from her seat, brushing his thumbs against her cheek gently. "I know," he whispered, smiling at her and holding her face lovingly in his palms.

"How did you know?" she asked, scared that she had accidently showed everyone, but being completely proven wrong when he unbuttoned her shirt and pushed the material over her shoulders, moving away her tank top to reveal a small scar hidden by the thick straps. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the damaged skin, before he revealed another scar over her heart, on her ribs, and on the side of her stomach; gentle kisses being pressed to each of them.

"Because Bones, I know everything about you, and I've been there myself."


	29. Young

_**An: All I want is your sperm! Ha! XD Whatevverrrr...**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**Your Call (Secondhand Serenade)**_

* * *

_So we march to the drums of the damned as we come,_  
_Watch it burn in the sun, we are numb._

_We are young, we have heart,  
Born in this world as it all falls apart.  
We are strong, we don't belong,  
Born in this world as it all falls apart._

_As we walk about these shadows, in these streets, this fields of battle.  
Take it up, we wear the medal, raise your hands with burning candles.  
Hear us whisper in the dark; in the rain you see the spark.  
Feel the beating of our hearts, fleeing hope as we depart._

_-Young (Hollywood Undead)_

Dressed in uniform with the night chilling him from the inside out, and candles flickering across the numbers of coffins covered with American flags, was one picture he wished he never had to stand in.

People stood in black against the black night that had already fallen on the city, wind wailing with the cries of young widows and lost parents, the hard military persona being the only thing keeping him from breaking apart and shattering along with the wave of sadness.

A priest spoke words of bravery, and heroism, and any man that went through what he went through was the prime example of both of those things.

Those who don't know the experience of war don't realize that bravery isn't killing the enemy, but risking your life to better the life of not only your home country, but the country infected with the virus of terror.

War is never about the killing.

It shouldn't be about the killing.

You don't lose your humanity when you look through that sniper view and place that single dot on the heart of an insurgent with an AK-47 aimed at a small child huddled against his mother.

His eyes flickered with the candles as he stepped forward and stood next to one of the many coffins, taking the flag draped across the oak and folding it expertly, before turning to the woman who stepped up to receive it.

She had black streaks down her face, and he handed her the flag, stepping to her and wrapping his arms around her, seeing the pain in her eyes that told him instantly the soldier in the coffin was the only person she really had.

She stepped back first and she smiled weakly, nodding and whispering "Thank you," before stepping back, and he moved back to formation, lowering his head with the prayer as the coffins were lowered into the ground and thunder released his mournful cry.

The clouds released their pressure and rain fell from the skies, the candles held in the hands of so many burning out with a single drip of water, a sad smirk flashing across his lips.

He had seen it before, a single, small happenstance, ending something that means so much; like a raindrop ending the life of a flame burning for the loss of multiple American soldiers, or a single bullet, ending the life of a beautiful and prosperous human being.

He stayed and watched as the dirt was placed on the coffins, and he felt the rain soaking through his uniform.

But as he stood so focused on the white cross at the head of one grave; thinking back and remembering the bravery, and how this one man saved his life; he didn't see his partner, drenched to her skin step up beside him, her black dress clinging to her body as her hand reached out and held his.

"Bones," he choked out sadly, shaking his head and turning away from the death to face this woman he had fell so in love with. "He went in my place."

"Road side bomb?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand hard between hers in a reassuring act.

He nodded once and he buried his face in her neck when she brought her arms around his neck and hugged him tight to her body.

"Then I will forever thank him, for saving your life," she whispered, placing a gentle kiss to his temple to calm his shivering body.

"You know he can't hear you," he argued back, pulling back and looking at her with streams of hot tears burning into his rain cooled skin.

Her hands rose to his cheeks and her thumbs brushed away the warmed water, bringing him closer to her and allowing their lips to slide together, their kisses soft and warming against the rain. "Yes he can," she whispered, smiling at him and kissing his cheek tenderly before hugging him tight to her once again.


	30. Your Call

_**An: Light smut, so I had to change it to M for your own safety. :P Sorry.**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**It's Your Life (Francesca Battistelli)**_

* * *

_Stripped and polished, I am new, I am fresh._  
_I am feeling so ambitious, you and me, flesh to flesh._  
_Cause every breath that you will take,_  
_When you are sitting next to me,_  
_Will bring life into my deepest hopes, what's your fantasy?_  
_(What's your, what's your, what's your)_

_Cause I was born to tell you I love you,  
and I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine,  
Stay with me tonight._

_-Your Call (Secondhand Serenade)_

He didn't understand how they got here, but when he opened his eyes against the morning sun, and his gaze fell on the beautiful sleeping face of his partner; he didn't dare start to complain.

He remembered the night before, and he shivered at how they had completely broken down and thrown themselves at each other; falling into the other for support, and in turn falling more in love with each other.

He remembered her showing up at his door with tears in her eyes, and he remembered immediately bringing his hands to her face and wiping away the moisture, pulling her into his arms against the horrors felt about this particular case.

The Gravedigger had been a nightmare for him for a year, but for her, she had been a nightmare for three years, and he couldn't believe how tough his partner fought against the suffocating terrors of imagining to be back in that car, with absolutely no hope of rescue.

Her eyes were scared, and he remembered closing them the second their lips touched. He remembered hearing the pulse of her heart and how quickly it was fluttering as his arms came around her and brought her into his chest, his hands automatically running under her shirt and along the curve of her back.

He remembered how her tears brushed against his cheeks as he took away her fears, and he remembered pulling her shirt over her head and gasping at the large expanse of pale ivory skin.

He remembered lavishing her skin, and tearing away her bra to balance her perfect breasts in his hands, his lips moving against her neck until they moved down to her breasts, the clawing of her nails and soft, whimpering moans an indicator of her approval.

He remembered her tearing apart his shirt and bringing them together for a heated kiss, tingling flesh against tingling flesh as the rest of their clothing was shed and they stumbled back into his bedroom, rolling onto his bed until he game to hover over her and they snuck under the sheets.

They rocked together and he remembered the throaty moans and tears of pleasure streaking down her cheeks, his hands running up her torso until his hand cupped the side of her neck, and his lips pressed to the neglected side, nibbling and sucking on the tender skin and pulling from her the most spine quivering cries.

He remembered them exploding together, releasing their orgasms with strangled cries of their lover's name, and they held onto each other for fear they would wake up and this would be a complete dream.

But this morning, Booth couldn't help but smile. It wasn't a dream, and he had his one true love wrapped in his blankets, settled on her stomach with a smile; each breath she took in calming, as the scent of her partner overwhelmed her senses.

He reached out and his fingers brushed along the stretch of her back, smiling when she shivered and opened her eyes.

The deep sky blue eyes help uncertainty and fear for a second, until she shivered once again against the feel of his fingers against her spine, and her eyes softened. She smiled and laughed softly, burying her face deeper into one of his pillows, before she turned her gaze to him once again. "I've fantasized about this moment for years, and I was scared this was only a dream."

He chuckled and moved closer, kissing her lips gently before bringing his lips to her forehead, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest and running his fingers through her hair.

Her breath brushed against his chest and her lips pressed against his neck, a smile on his lips as he pressed a kiss to her temple, releasing three words on a single breath that made him feel as if he was finally at one with the world. "I love you."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly and bringing him to rest comfortably on top of her. "Would you be offended if I asked you to prove it?" she whispered in a sultry voice, their lips coming together to allow their tongues to fight passionately.

"Not at all," he agreed, his hands sliding down the sides of her naked body until his hands settled on her hips and her legs wrapped around his waist. He aligned himself perfectly with her and pressed his lips to hers before sliding home in a single, solid thrust; both of their mouths opening to release pleasure strangled cries.

Her hands held onto his cheeks as their lips moved in time with their bodies, and she felt a tingle in her belly that ultimately led to the flutter of her womb. She pulled him deeper into her and squeezed him tight within her, his fingers imprinting themselves in her back as pleasure caused his muscles to tense.

"I love you," he whimpered, holding her tight to him as he increased the speed of his thrusts and kissed her violently. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."

She wrapped her arms around him and arched into him, whimpering and releasing a single cry of his name as she came, fluttering around him and dousing his erection with her fluids, her tingling walls pulling his own orgasm from him, and pulling his seed deep inside of her, warmth settling in her lower belly.

He quivered on his arms, and she ran her fingers through his hair, kissing him passionately before he fell onto his back, and she settled against his chest.

"Do you believe me now?" he asked, completely breathless, with lazy fingers running through her sex dampened auburn hair.

She leaned across his chest and smiled at him, leaning down and kissing his chest gently before she leaned forward and kissed his jaw, her eyes dropping tiredly as her lips brushed along his stubble covered chin. "I believed you the first time you told me," she admitted, smiling and laughing, before burying her face in his neck, and he tightened his arms around her, nibbling on her ear and pulling from her the most beautiful, breathless laughs.


	31. It's Your Life

_**An: Yay! Ange gets a puppy! :)**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**My Last Song For Miley (Dave Days)**_

* * *

_It's your life._  
_What you gonna do?_  
_The world is watching you._  
_Every day, the choices you make,_  
_Say who you are and who your heart beats for._  
_It's an open door._

_To live the way that you believe,  
This is your opportunity,  
To let your life be one that lights the way._

_-It's Your Life (Francesca Battistelli)_

"Guys! I had a premonition!"

"Angela. A premonition is a strong feeling of the future without rational basis…"

"Okay Brennan, I had a revelation," the artist corrected, placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head. "I realized that when I woke up and glanced out at the window, that I'm not living my life the way I want it."

The squints shared a mixed look shooting from one edge of the platform to the other. "Okay," Hodgins muttered, looking with interest at his wife "What exactly are you missing?"

"I'm not spontaneous enough," Angela explained, glaring at Cam who chuckled and shook her head.

"Spontaneity is not a problem with you Angela. Finding the line between spontaneous and dangerous is."

"I concur," Brennan nodded, looking to her best friend "I find your spontaneity as it is not only exhilarating but scary from my view."

"I'm hardly as spontaneous as I could be. I'm not getting any younger and I want my life to start rolling. These are my prime years and I want to do everything. I want to go sky diving, and parasailing, I want to race cavaliers and I want to swim with sharks. I want to learn a traditional Spanish dance in Barcelona and go to a trashy, shady bar in Germany. I want to watch the English sun rise, and the Australian sun set. I want to hold a koala bear and brush with death in a battle between me and the most dangerous, and poisonous snake in the world."

"And so the dare devil makes her appearance," Cam said, but smiling despite her words and admiring Angela's will to live.

"Well, I think we should all be dare devils," Angela explained, turning to Brennan and crossing her arms over her chest. "Especially you Sweetie."

"Me?" Brennan asked, taken aback.

"Yes you. This is your only life Bren; you should be living it up, not sulking through the chambers of death all day every day."

"This is my job Angela."

"It's your job but it isn't your life sweetie," the artist explained, smiling and walking closer to her friend, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and forcing her to see the way she did. "When was the last time you took a vacation to a remote island, without any bones, and you just lived."

"I don't understand your imagery," the anthropologist muttered, frowning at the disapproving look on her best friend's face. "Well, I don't necessarily understand what you're asking since I live everyday…it's necessary for, well, living."

"I mean _really_ living Sweetie. When was the last time you did something dangerous just to feel alive?"

"I still don't know what that means."

"She's asking the last time you've been spontaneous," Cam explained, sharing an amused look with Hodgins before she directed her attention back to her clip board.

"Yeah," Hodgins added, "Have you ever ran across a busy street trying to dodge the cars only inches away from you, or skinny dipped in your neighbors' pool?"

"No, those two instances seem reckless, and could result in being arrested or killed," Brennan explained, shaking her head at the childish nonsense that had the whole team awestruck.

"Oh my god Brennan, there has to be one thing you want to do before you die that's just a little bit dangerous," Angela pleaded, shaking her head and letting her arm fall from her friend's shoulder as she heard the familiar swoosh of the sliding glass doors, and the light foot falls of FBI Agent Studly.

Brennan eyed Booth and knew that he was her dangerous plunge, and her sigh was heavily forced as she relayed their conversation in her head. She felt tired with playing it safe, and she knew that her relationship with Booth consisted of them playing stupid.

And if there was one thing that Temperance Brennan had to stress more than anything, was that she was nowhere close to stupid.

Snapping down her clipmboard, she stalked towards Booth; the heads of her colleagues following her in interest as a fire blazed in her eyes that set Booth on edge.

"Bones what's-"

But his words couldn't be finished, because the second his foot settled on the platform, she had her arms slung around his neck and her lips pressed firmly to his, their bodies flush together while the viewers of this happenstance stood slack jawed.

The couple kissed passionately for what seemed to them like hours before they reluctantly parted, but Booth kept his hand settled hard against her lower back to keep her from stepping away. "Bones…what was that for?"

"Angela told me to be spontaneous."

Booth's eyes traveled to the artist and his hand rose slowly, his finger pointing in her direction. "I…am getting you a puppy."

"Why am I getting a puppy?" Ange asked, shaking the disbelief from her eyes.

"Because you deserve a puppy," he nodded, smiling and laughing as Brennan placed her lips gently against his jaw.

Angela smiled and clapped her hands together happily when the partners brought their lips together again, and Cam and Hodgins turned to Angela for some sort of explanation, but the artist had a skip in her step as she moved from the platform.

"Got those two together and got a puppy in the same day…Yay!"


	32. My Last Song For Miley

_**An: Alright, so I'm sorry for being so slow in updating and I promise that the next chapters of my 6 active stories are going to be coming. Don't worry, I even wrote a 'To-Do' list so I will stare at it and eventually get myself writing. Haha! I've just been working a lot this week and haven't really gotten time to write. :( The sad thing is that I work the rest of the week too, but after that, I should be okay. :)**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) - Shakira**_

_**^ I loves that song. XD**_

* * *

_As much as I make believe,_  
_You're not really here with me._  
_What was I thinking from the beginning?_  
_You didn't care at all._  
_All that's left are the memories,_  
_Constantly haunting me._  
_I'm giving up, it's time to grow up._  
_You're not around and we're not in love._

_-My Last Song For Miley (Dave Days)_

Rolling onto his side once more he sighs, and brushes his hand over the cold side of the mattress that taunted him with her body only moments before. Shakily he brings the pillow to his chest and settles his nose against the soft cotton, trying so desperately to remember how her perfume smelled when she wrapped her arms around his stomach, but failed.

He held the pillow tighter before he sat up and pulled the blankets away from his body. He knew after having this dream he wouldn't be getting back to sleep, and decided he might as well get ready for work and head in early.

Once showered and dressed, he ran his hands over his face one more time to try and regain back his normal skin color, but only excelled in making his paled skin more prominent. He shrugged it off and slid his phone in his pocket before he made his way out to his Sequoia, and left for his office, at 4:39 in the morning.

The guards didn't ask questions as they watched the tattered and sickly looking agent stumble into the darkened halls so early in the morning. They looked at each other and shared looks of sympathy for the man, but kept their silence and watched as Booth's tensed shoulders disappeared behind his office door, and he proceeded in burying himself in his work.

He chuckled when he thought about it; usually it was Bones burying herself in her work, but this time it was him, and he wished he could at least be well rested while being in this mind fuck, but of course, that was too much for him to ask for, and he settled in signing the papers three times slower than normal.

He couldn't focus, and couldn't pay attention; which came to his immediate downfall when Brennan knocked on his office door and sent him shooting up from his hand. "Bones what are you doing here?" he asked, trying to shake out the last longing thoughts of her from his head.

"You…weren't picking up your phone, I wanted to come and see if you were okay. Booth you look awful," she said quietly, her gentle blue eyes filled with concern as she moved forward and leaned across his desk, her fingers touching his chin and tilting his head up. "Your eyes are so dark. Have you been sleeping well?"

"Not at all," he confessed truthfully, chuckling and running his hands through his hair before he rubbed his burning eyes and wished so much for him to just pass out on his desk.

"Well…why haven't you?"

"If I knew that I'd be able to sleep."

"Booth I'm just trying to help you," Brennan whispered, walking around his desk and pressing her hands gently into multiple parts of his back, sending him to rest against his desk, groaning in pleasure. "You're really tense Booth. I think your mattress is too hard on your back for you to get a full nights rest."

"Mmm," he muttered, finding himself dangerously close to falling asleep with her fingers pressing in all of the right places.

"Come on," she said, straightening him and pulling him from his desk. "I'm taking you to my apartment."

"Why?" he asked quietly, falling against her slightly before she righted him and smiled a gentle, siren like smile.

"My mattress is much more adept for supporting the spine. You can sleep there and catch up on your sleep," Brennan offered, smiling and locking their arms together as she led him from his office and into the elevator.

"So what? Am I going to steal your bed every time I can't sleep?" Booth said groggily, running his hands over his face as he tried to summon the effort to do the simplest of things.

"No," she whispered, running her hand along his arm soothingly. "We're going to go look for a new bed for you once you don't look like a zombie."

"Mmm brains," he teased, leaning against her and burying his nose in her hair.

Brennan smiled and a gentle shiver ran down her spine at the intimate gesture, but for once she only closed her eyes and relished in the feeling of his breath brushing through the strands of her hair. "I'm Bones, Booth, not Brains."

He chuckled gently and shook his head, fighting the urge to place a tender kiss to her temple in his sleepy state. "That's funny Bones," he muttered, smiling at her and brushing his fingers through her hair before the elevator doors opened and he was led into the Hoover parking garages.

He was stuffed into her car despite his arguments, and he immediately reclined the chair back.

"No no no," Brennan immediately argued, motioning for him to sit the seat up. "I can't carry you into my apartment Booth, just hold on for five more minutes and you can go to sleep."

"But Bones I'm so tired."

"I know you are," she whispered, resting her hand over his and squeezing "Just try and stay awake for a little bit longer okay?"

He turned his hand and smiled, lacing their fingers together before he placed his head back and nodded. "M'kay."

She easily sped through the streets of D.C., her hand held tight in his the whole way there. When her car dipped down into the parking garage of her complex, she smiled at her exhausted partner. "Come on, the sooner we get up there the sooner you'll get to sleep," she coaxed, jumping out of the car and leading him into the lobby.

She rushed him into the elevator and kept her hand moving against his arm to keep him from falling asleep in the elevator, smiling at him when the doors opened to reveal her floor, and she quickly walked forward to open her door.

He slowly stepped in and took a deep breath of her scent lingering in the air, smiling as he kicked off his shoes and let his jacket fall from his arms. She immediately took it and hung it on the back of one of her chairs, following him into her bedroom and pulling down the sheets as he pulled his shirt from his pants and slowly pulled the buttons apart.

He slid his pants and socks off and fell into her bed, groaning and allowing himself to sink into the comforting mattress that practically threw her perfume around him.

"Comfortable?" Brennan asked quietly, pulling the blankets over him and tenderly brushing her fingers across his bare shoulders.

"Mmhmm," he was able to mumble before he fell asleep, and only heard her voice in a drunken haze.

"I'll be back later to check on you," she whispered, brushing her fingers against his cheek and leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Sleep well."

Rolling onto his side once more he sighs, thinking he's dreaming; and that the soft arms of the woman he loves aren't really around him, but when he fully turns and feels her wrap her arms tighter around him and rest her head against his chest he is frozen. He runs his fingers through her hair and gasps softly at the realization that his partner is curled up beside him. "Bones, what are you doing?"

"I was wondering what it felt like…in reality," she confessed, smiling up at him before burying her face in his neck. "I'm sorry I woke you."

He smiles and kisses her temple, holding her tight to him and released a tired breath. "With you here Bones, I'll be practically catatonic."

Her gentle laugh went straight to his heart and she took in a shaky breath before placing a barely there kiss to his neck. "Go to sleep Booth."

"Sleep tight Bones."


	33. Waka Waka

_**An: So loving this song. Loving the cup. Loving South Africa. Loving Uruguay. Loving ehh I'm undecided between South Korea and Greece. Loving Argentina...really loving Argentina, and I'm surprised that the U.S. tied with England. Pleasantly surprised. I'm mad, because my cousin is in South Africa now, watching the games...loser, and I can't wait to watch Portugual. :) 3 Cristiano Ronaldo...nummy nummy. XD**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**She [For Liz] (Parachute)**_

* * *

_You're a good soldier;_  
_Choosing your battles._  
_Pick yourself up_  
_and dust yourself off,_  
_Get back in the saddle._  
_You're on the front line,_  
_Everyone's watching._  
_You know it's serious._  
_We're getting closer._  
_This isn't over._

_The pressure's on; you feel it,  
But you got it all; believe it._

_-Waka Waka [This Time For Africa] (Shakira)_

Booth smiled, but winced when Brennan pressed the ice pack harder into his shoulder. "Ouch, easy there Bones, eh?"

"Booth I told you not to go for that pitch, it was too low and you were using too much force. You most likely tore your infraspina-"

"Yeah yeah, my shoulder muscle, I can tell that Bones," Booth commented, watching as the last hitter from the other team came up to bat. After a small spirited debate with one of his friends on the D.C. Police, they decided to have a little softball competition, for charity of course.

They had created their teams and to make the game a little bit harder, they decided to play on the larger baseball fields instead of the short softball fields.

The last batter collided with the first baseman's glove, filled with the softball and Cullen looked to the other FBI Agents. "Alright, last inning guys," he said, flipping his chart over as the first three men lined up, and Agent Watkins; a tall, slightly muscular man with light blue eyes and dark brown hair; stepped up to the plate.

Watkins slammed the bat hard into the ball and sent it clear into outer left field, but their fieldsman easily caught the ball in his glove and threw it back to their pitcher.

The game worked back and forth, some men making it to their base, and some not, but when it came down to the second to last pitcher, Booth stood and left Bones' side.

"Booth what are you doing?"

"Cullen let me hit," Booth said, working his shoulder in a circle, and ignoring the disapproving look of his boss before he stepped into the dirt and picked up his bat, swinging it around to loosen up his shoulder.

"Booth," Brennan said, standing from the bench and coming to the fence, lacing her fingers around the metal. "Don't do this; you're going to horribly damage your shoulder."

"I got this Bones," Booth assured, smiling at her and nodding to the field. "Come on, bases are loaded, I can hit this one out. We need two more runs and we win, why not go out with a bang?"

"And a shoulder that'll hurts like hell," she commented, shaking her head and looking at her partner disapprovingly. "What makes you think you can hit this out of the arena."

"Park…Bones, it's hit it out of the park."

"Booth, you're going to have to use a considerable amount of force and hit the ball slightly below the middle to get that ball anywhere near the fence. Please tell me what makes you think you can do that with a hurt shoulder?"

"Come on Booth," the umpire said, hushing down the other team that were demanding he step up to plate.

"Because Bones," he finalized "You're my good luck charm. With you here I can't miss."

He winked at her and swung the bat some more back and forth, working out his arm and smiling at the gentle blush that crept to her cheeks. He stepped back and stood next to home plate, swinging his bat around in a circle before he tapped the edge on the dust covered pentagon and he took his stance.

"Come on Booth," the agents said, clapping gently as the D.C. police's pitcher tossed the ball, which slid close to Booth's stomach and fell next to the catcher.

"Good eye Booth. Come on man," all of the agents said together again, but Booth didn't hear what they said. He looked over to Brennan and smiled, turning back towards the pitcher and narrowing his eyes, his look becoming almost feral as the ball was released from the pitcher's hand and headed right over the plate.

Booth took a deep breath and swung at the ball, crying out as stabbing ran up his shoulder and the crack of the softball pierced his ears.

He looked up and smiled through the pained tears, the ball soaring high through the air right over center; the crowd screaming and yelling when the center fieldsman tried climbing up the fence to catch the fly ball, but failed, and the yellow orb rolled far into the parking lot.

All agents ran their bases and gathered by home plate, opening their arms and roughing Booth around as they congratulated him and marveled in his strength.

"How the hell did you do that man?" one of the younger agents asked, shaking his head at the older agent who had his hand pressed firmly to his shoulder.

"Booth that was amazing!" Brennan said, running from the dugout and into his arms, wrapping her arms tight around his neck and sending him stumbling back slightly from the impact.

"Ah, I got it," the man said, smiling and turning teasing eyes on the intertwined couple.

"Hey Booth!" Cullen yelled, picking up the bat settled near home plate, and turning it to show the sizable dent. "You gonna pay for this?"

"Hell no," Booth laughed "I have to pay for a hospital visit now," he said, yelping and groaning when Brennan touched his shoulder.

"That isn't necessary, I can fix you up," she said immediately, fisting the end of his black FBI shirt and pulling it over his head.

"Bones!" he screamed, half from pain, half from surprise. "What the hell are you doing?"

"She wants you naked Seel," one of the agents teased.

"Shut up Larsen! I can still shoot left handed," Booth growled, pointing to the laughing man running out of the dugout.

"You're shoulder is inflammated. Come on, I'll take you back to your apartment and perform my cursory examination, and then get you ice," Brennan explained, pressing her hand to his dampened back and pushing him forward.

"Is it going to hurt?" he asked, whimpering like a small child.

"Yes," she answered simply "but it's necessary pain."

"Does he like it rough and painful sweetheart?" Larsen asked, smiling at Booth's evil glare and ducking when the agent quickly picked up a softball and chucked it at the man's head. "You can shoot left, but you can't throw lefty Boothy boy!"

"To answer your question, Booth does have a high tolerance for pain, but is in no way masochistic. But if you are referring sexually, Booth's alpha male status would propel him to act as the dominant sex during intercourse."

"Bones!"

"What Booth? It's not like I have firsthand knowledge, it's a basic anthropological observation."

"Just- stop talking, and focus on my shoulder," Booth growled, reaching over and snatching his shirt from her hand "and give me back my shirt."


	34. She

_**An: :)...I really have nothing to say. XD Bahaha!**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**Seperation (Life On Repeat)**_

_**The next chapter will be AU, for fair warning.**_

* * *

_My vocal cords have been fighting._  
_My mouth likes to spit me._  
_It never says the words that come to mind._  
_And I brought a stick to a gun fight,_  
_And I'm stuck with my tongue ties._  
_I run, but I can't hide what's always there._

_She, she is the words that I can't find.  
How can the only thing that's killing me, make me feel so alive?  
And I couldn't speak;  
I couldn't breathe to save my life.  
All of my chances swim like sinking ships,  
This time it's it,  
I'll drown or make her mine._

_-She [For Liz] (Parachute)_

They had been like this before…oh how they've been like this before; sitting close together in an unconscious need to just melt into the other, their voices low and wispy as they spoke a conversation meant for only their ears.

She wasn't thinking, and for the rare times in her life she reveled in the pulsation of her heart against her chest. While he couldn't stop thinking, wondering how this woman so breathtakingly beautiful found her way into his life, and wondering how this single woman slowly killed him, but made him feel alive every single day.

They hadn't spent real time with each other for months, a sad outcome of his advances on her, and he beat himself up every single day for rushing her, and in turn pushing her away from him.

But now…he felt that itch again, and knew that his chance was put before him again.

Her eyes were darker, the color of a Caribbean sea instead of the color of a cloudy sky. He hardly ever saw her eyes that color, and when he did, she caught herself, and immediately shut down.

Though, this time her words were calm and languid, her voice sweet but quiet, and her whole body completely relaxed as she curled her legs closer to her and her knee gently brushed against his thigh.

Her brain was finally taking a break, and this was his time to get his answers.

"Bones, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Booth," she whispered, her hand falling to her lap.

"Why is it that, when we had our…discussion, after our talk with Sweets, that you didn't completely throw me to the curb like any of your other 'partners'," Booth asked, looking down to his lap before up into her eyes, where the Caribbean blue started to disappear.

"Booth…"

"No, Bones, we can't hide this anymore. We have to get it all out in the open if we ever want to move on," he growled, hating the words the second they left his mouth.

"You think that I pushed you away because I don't like you Booth, but it's the exact opposite. I pushed you away because you mean too much to me to lose just because I'm awkward and I don't know how to fuel a successful relationship," Brennan said, gasping when he leaned forward and rested his hand on her cheek.

"Don't push me away again," Booth demanded, pulling her closer to him and running his thumb against her soft skin. "Go back to how you were, when you weren't thinking. Give me that Bones back, the Bones that will trust me enough to tell me how she really feels."

"Booth, what are you talking about? I'm only one person, and I don't have multiple personality disorder," she rationalized, gasping again when his thumb brushed against her lips.

"Be quiet," he whispered, "I'm done with all of this. I'm done with the fleeting chances, if you aren't going to do anything, I will."

She shivered as his hand wrapped to the back of her head, and his fingers threaded through her hair, pressing her forward and bringing their lips together roughly. Her hand shot to his chest, put she didn't push him away, instead her hand fisted his shirt and her eyes closed tight. She moaned softly into his mouth when she accepted the kiss, and his tongue passed over hers before he gently sucked her lower lip between his.

Her voice quivered when he pulled her hair away and brought his lips to her neck, sucking the soft skin and nibbling on her pulse. "Booth," she whimpered, tearing her nails down his back and released a short pleasured cry when he pulled her into his lap and his tented erection pressed hard into her denim covered core.

"Oh," Brennan groaned, her head falling back as he attacked her neck and unexpectedly tore open the front of her shirt.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, his voice an overwhelming contrast to the vigorous attacking of his hands and lips. "So, so beautiful."

She felt a single tear roll down the side of her cheek and drop off to her shoulder, gasping as she tried to regain her breath, shivering and failing when he settled her on her back against her couch, her shirt falling away from her ivory skin.

He leaned down and gently kissed her stomach, running his hands up her side and holding his hands around her ribs as he brushed his lips up her chest until he brought his hands around her cheeks. "I need to know you want this…all of this, not just a single night of passion, but a whole life time of it."

Her chest heaved under his gaze and her hand shook as she brought it to the side of his face, leaning up to bring their lips together. "I want you, Booth. I want this, all of this, for as long as we live."

"That's completely irrational," he joked, smiling and kissing the inside of her wrist.

"I'm trying going with my gut," she returned, smiling and running her fingers into his hair before she pressed him down to her again. "How am I doing so far?"

"Mmm, amazing," Booth groaned, running his hands over her shoulders and pulling the remains of her shirt away, before his lips descended to hers, and he proceeded in showing her how to break the laws of physics.


	35. Separation

_**AN: DAMNN! Long chapters suck. XD LMFAO!**_

_**Next song in the line up is...**_

_**The Message Is You (Life On Repeat)**_

* * *

You've been running out the back door baby,  
She'd do anything to see that boy again.  
And now the thought of separation,  
takes the blame away.

_-Separation (Life On Repeat)_

Blue eyes clashed with brown eyes, and faces that still held youth seemed to age years in this father daughter stare down. She held resiliency in her eyes, and he held a stern, hard emptiness that told her she wouldn't change his mind, but she knew she had to try.

"Dad-"

"Temperance, this is final. You are not to see that boy again."

"Why not?"

"He's dangerous."

"How in the hell is he dangerous?"

"You're fifteen years old," Max Brennan growled, stepping forward to try and intimidate his daughter. "You don't know what people are capable of, and how easily they can hide who they truly are."

"I'm not an idiot," the fifteen year old Temperance Brennan spat.

"You also aren't as smart as you think you are."

"You may have years Max, but you don't know who he is. You don't know how he acts or how he thinks and you defiantly don't know how he feels. You don't know his past, you don't know his present and you don't know his future, so tell me why you are so sure he is dangerous " Temperance growled, arms crossed tight against her still developing chest as she looked up into her father's eyes.

"Because he is twenty, and you're fifteen. He doesn't care about you honey, he just wants to have sex with you," Max explained, taken aback by the fire in her words.

"Don't call me honey. I'm not a child dad."

"You're also not a woman, and you aren't capable of making rational decisions to better your life. You can only make decisions led by your adolescent hormones."

A tic settled in her jaw, and her fists clenched as if she were ready to hit her father, but she stilled the second she saw a pair of warm chocolate eyes peeking at her through the kitchen window.

"Fine," Temperance relented, looking at her father before she swept her gaze to her visitor and then settled them on the floor. "Put me on house arrest, I don't care anymore. You seem to always know what's best for me, so don't let me try and put in my two cents. Make my life the one you envision, it seems I had no choice in the beginning anyway."

She turned quickly, despite her father's protests and she walked upstairs, moving into the bathroom, locking the door behind her and starting the shower before she opened the second floor window and whistled.

She heard soft footsteps and she smiled the second she saw him at the foot of the large oak tree, her heart slamming as he climbed up the limbs and went as close to the window as he could. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft and caring.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice weakening as his eyes melted down her walls and pulled the first tear from her eyes.

Seeley Booth shook his head and nodded towards her. "Step back," he whispered gently, bunching his muscles and jumping to the window sill, pulling himself in without making a noise.

He smiled weakly as she stood in front of him, arms wrapped around her as her last ounce of strength left her body, and she was reduced to try and hold herself for support. "Come here," he whispered, wrapping her in his arms and holding her tight against his strong chest, his fingers brushing lovingly through her long auburn hair.

"He says you're dangerous," she muttered softly through her unbidden tears. "He says you just want to have sex with me, and that you could care less about me."

He gasped softly and pulled back, framing her face with his hands to guide her gaze to his. "You know that's a complete and utter lie right?"

In her admission she had doubted him, but as his gentle touch brushed along her jaw and she took in the hurt that had settled in his eyes, she knew that it was a lie, and that she meant more to him than she probably should. "I know it is," Temperance finally whispered. "I know you would never press me to do anything I didn't want to do. Besides, you aren't a man that likes to rack 'em up. You like to cherish, and you put everyone else on a pedestal before you acknowledge yourself."

His smile was bright, and during an unexpected wave of relief, he swept her up in a hug, his breathing shaky against her ear. "Oh Bones, thank you."

She smiled and sighed, her face falling to sadness and indecision as she pulled away from him and leaned against the sink. "Well, what are we going to do? I won't be able to go anywhere without dad sending Russ to stalk me, and there won't be a way for me to sneak off if I can't see him."

"Yeah, I went to school with your brother and he was a sneaky little bastard, but like you said before, I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to do. You'll have to decide this one Temperance," he whispered, moving her hair behind her ear and brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"I want to be with you," she whispered immediately, smiling at the surprised happiness in his eyes. "I'm not going to stop seeing you just because my dad thinks you're a horrible person."

He smirked as he watched this beautiful girl pull her bottom lip between her teeth; the sure sign that she was thinking hard as she tried to come up with a decision. His hand came forward and held hers, his thumb running along the length of every digit until her hand twitched in his and she smiled. "Ha, seems like I've found another."

"I highly doubt you're going to just jump on me and tickle my finger though," Temperance argued, smiling and shaking her head when he reached behind her and squeezed the skin against her ribs, sending her squirming and pressing into chest. "Don't make me laugh," she said quietly "The shower can only drown out so much."

"Maybe I just wanted you closer to me," Seeley whispered, smiling and kissing her forehead before he guided her head to his chest and he ran his fingers through her hair. "What have you decided baby?"

"That you not call me baby," she stated quickly, smiling and hugging him tighter. "And that you should go, and come back later, packed and ready, at two..."

"Wait, what?"

"Pack your things, and come back here at two tonight, and we'll leave."

"Where will we go?"

"Washington," she answered, smiling at him. "D.C. I mean. I have money saved up from years of holidays and birthdays. We can put our money together and get a house, and we'll both get jobs-"

"What about your schooling? Bones people can't hardly live without a college degree."

"I'll enroll myself in a school. I took summer classes last summer, so I'm well on a junior level. I can tap into my savings account and I can start up my college classes next fall. I'll send a letter to the school telling them I'm moving and then everything will be settled," she finished, breathless and looking at him with wide, worried eyes. "Please don't say no..."

Booth smiled and tightened his arms around her, capturing her lips in a tender, but loving kiss that he pulled away from when the first sparks of passion made their appearance. "I'll be waiting for you a two tonight," he assured, smiling at her before nodding to the window. "On Lincoln alright?"

"Okay," Temperance agreed, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing their lips together once more before she checked her watch and nodded to the window. "Go get your stuff."

"And you might want to jump in the shower for a little bit," he teased, moving to the window and smiling his signature charm smile. "It might be a little suspicious if you leave the bathroom after a thirty minute shower and you aren't even wet."

"Smart ass," she said, smiling at him and slapping him with a towel.

"Temperance," he whispered, holding himself up on one of the flimsy branches by still holding on to the window, taking in a deep breath when her beautiful blue eyes turned to his. "Please stay safe."

"I will," she assured, moving to the window and kissing him deeply while running her fingers through his hair, before she stepped back and smiled at him. "Everything will be okay Seeley, I promise you."

"If anything happens, run," He demanded, kissing her softly again and again. "I'll make sure I'm on the other street a while before we you can leave."

"Just be careful," Temperance asked, holding his head and kissing him again, allowing their tongues to meld together and wrestle softly. "I'll see you at two…"

"I'll see you then," he nodded, smiling and brushing his fingers against her stomach, sending her reeling backwards giggling and smiling, before he pushed himself against the outside of the house, and closed the window; catching himself against the trunk of the tree, and smiling at her before climbing to the ground and sneaking off to his truck.

Temperance smiled and pulled her shirt over her head, sliding her jeans over her hips and tearing away the rest of her clothing, before she jumped in the scolding water and cursed, turning the cold water knob and quickly running shampoo through her hair and soap over her body. She turned off the water and stepped from the shower, wrapping a towel around her and jumping when she opened the door to find Russ standing in front of her.

"What took you so long?" her brother asked; his dark eyes slightly angry, and questioning. "You usually don't shower that long."

"I also don't usually have everyone butting their way into my personal life," Temperance brushed off, shoving past him and heading towards her room. "You can stop stalking me now Russ, I'm not going to do anything."

"Who were you talking to in there?" Russ asked out right, moving after her and stopping her door before she could slam it in front of him.

"I was talking to myself obviously. I tend to do that when I want to get my thoughts in order," she assured, smiling at her brother and moving his hand before she closed the door and turned the lock.

She took in a deep breath and shook her head, dropping her towel and dressing herself in jeans and a t-shirt. She pulled down multiple duffel bags and threw her clothes in the bags, zipping them and pushing them under her bed before she pulled another small bag out of her closet and filled it with her money she kept in a secret compartment in her desk drawer.

Throwing it under her bed; she unlocked her door and turned her light off, sneaking under her covers and rolling onto her side, pulling the covers over her shoulders and releasing a shaky breath when she heard her father moving up the steps.

"Max," she heard her mother say, her voice soft and relaxing. "Let me talk to her."

Her door opened and she sighed when her mother rested next to her and encircled her with her arms, her fingers running through her daughter's hair. "Are you alright baby?"

"No," Temperance answered, rolling onto her back and bringing her arms out from under the covers. "Dad is being…"

"Over protective," her mother argued, kissing Temperance's temple gently and leaning up on her elbow. "You're his little girl honey; you can't expect him to be that lenient towards anything, especially when it comes to boys."

"But I'm not little anymore," she muttered, shaking her head and sighing, closing her eyes when her mother brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

"No you're not. You're a growing, beautiful young lady, and that scares the hell out of your father. He's scared that you'll get mixed up with the wrong kind of guy, and he doesn't want you to be hurt…or worse."

"You've met him mom," Temperance retaliated, shaking her head "You've talked to him, you've seen him and you've seen how he acts towards me. Does he really look like he would ever want to hurt me?"

"No," Christine whispered, tilting her head and smiling. "I can tell me wouldn't, but no matter how many times I tell your father that, he's too cautious. He's not ready to let anyone hurt his family. He's a protector…"

"So is Booth," she argued, sitting up and pushing the covers down to show her jeans. "And he is never going to hurt me."

"Baby, are you sure about this?" her mother asked, looking over her daughter with a sad, but accepting look.

"Yes. I'm positive. We're going to D.C., and I'm going to enroll in school there. We're going to get jobs and we're getting an apartment and I'll enroll in college classes in the fall. It's the only way I can see us staying together."

"And he's never tried-"

"He's never done anything to ever make me uncomfortable, or scared, or…anything other than happy."

Christine smiled and stood up from her daughter's bed, looking at her alarm clock. "What time are you meeting him?"

"Two…I was going to wait until you and dad were asleep," Temperance admitted, smiling up at her mom and sighing contently when her soft fingers ran through her hair.

"I'll come get you when it's time; I want to see this man one more time before you run off into the sunset."

"Well…not necessarily the sunset…it'll be night time."

"I love you baby, don't ever forget that."

By 1:45, Temperance was woken by her mother's hand, and she smiled when she felt the familiar fluttering in her heart.

She slung her bags over her shoulder and smirked when Christine took two of the duffels and placed them on her shoulder, following her daughter downstairs and out the back door.

Temperance rushed across the backyard and through their neighbor's yard, until she saw Booth leaning against his truck. She smiled and walked to him, throwing her bags in the bed and immediately wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tight and smiling when he lifted her off the ground.

He spun her around but stopped when he saw her mother, stilling before he brought her feet to the ground. "Bones," he whispered quietly, looking at her once her hand rested on his arm.

"No it's okay, she knows," she explained, smiling and stepping from Booth when he moved towards her mother and took the bags from her, placing them in the bed of his truck with his, before he placed a cover over the back to shield off unexpected rain.

Christine grabbed him and turned him towards her, settling her hands on his cheeks and smiling. She brought him into her arms and hugged him tightly, laughing gently when he hugged her back. "You're gentle, and you're supportive. You'll do anything for my daughter and I know you love her dearly. I also know this was her decision, and not yours, I can only ask for one thing. Please, protect her."

"With my life," he nodded, smiling and hugging her again, before kissing her cheek and stepping back to allow the identical blue eyes of mother and daughter to meet.

"Oh, Tempe," she muttered, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around her daughter. "You see the world like your father, but when you follow your heart, you're as crazy as I am."

Her mother's hands held her face, and they shared identical Brennan smiles. "I'll take care of your father," Christine promised "I just want you to take care of each other, and call me if you need anything. I'll place some extra money in your account when I can, so keep up with your records."

"Mom, you don't have to do that."

"Yes I do, because my mom did the same thing for me."

"You and dad?"

She smiled and nodded "I was sixteen, and your father was twenty two, and we ran away here to Chicago. My mom placed money in my account every month, because she was fine with me following my heart, but my dad never was."

Temperance smiled and hugged her mother. "I love you mom."

"I love you too baby," she returned, running her hand down Temperance's hair. "I wish you all the luck in the world, and I know I'll see your name in lights."

"I don't know about all that," she started, but she stopped and smiled when Booth cleared his throat.

"I do," he nodded, smiling at the two "She'll be a famous forensic anthropologist one day."

"And will you be my studly FBI agent partner?" the teenager asked, smiling at him from the other side of the car.

He shrugged and rolled his eyes "Maybe, but I don't know how that would help any sort of investigation, you swooning over my strong FBI persona."

The two Brennan's snorted and they shared one last hug and a soft kiss to the cheek before they said 'I love you' one last time and she moved towards the door, smiling at her mom before she climbed into the truck and turned towards Booth.

"Are you sure about this Bones?" he asked, reaching over and resting his hand against her knee. "You don't have to do this."

She smiled and leaned across the consol, resting her hand against the side of his check and bringing their lips together, sharing a heated kiss with him that completely stole his breath away. "I'm sure," she whispered, resting her forehead against his and smiling when he nodded and gave her a dreamy look.

"Alright," he muttered, kissing her cheek before he started up his truck, but stopped when Christine opened Temperance's door.

"I want you to have this," she said quickly, handing over her ring to her daughter. "Keep this with you, and hand it over to your daughter when she falls so in love with a man that she runs off into the night."

Tempe laughed and took her mother's ring, sliding it onto her finger and hugging her mom once more before she nodded and closed the door. "I'll write," she promised, smiling and leaning out the window.

"You better! I want pictures of all of your adventures, and I want you to keep me updated with everything."

"I will," she nodded, smiling and laughing. "Thank you for everything mom."

"You're welcome, just…be like me, and don't make me a grandma too fast."

"Mom!"

"I'm just saying," Christine said, placing her hands innocently in the air. "Have fun baby, and stay safe."

Temperance nodded and leaned back in the truck, crossing her seat belt over her chest and releasing a heavy, but happy breath, looking at Booth and reaching over to hold his hand. He looked at her and smiled. "I can't believe you're going through with this."

"I can't either," she breathed out, smiling and bringing his knuckles to her lips. "I'm so glad you let me do this."

"What if your dad comes to kill me?"

"He won't."

"What makes you seem so sure?"

"Because you heard my mom, he did the same thing when he was twenty two," Temperance explained, smiling and leaning over to place a tender kiss against his neck. "When my mom gets to him, he'll realize…you're just like him."

"Isn't there some sort of rule that you're not supposed to date guys like your father?" Booth asked, smiling and laughing gently as they made their way onto the highways out of Chicago.

"Possibly, but, who the hell cares…as long as we're happy?"

"You make a very good point Temperance Brennan. A very, very good point."

"Temperance!" Max bellowed, rushing into his daughter's room and looking through her closet, finding it almost empty and slamming his hands into the wall with pure anger.

Christine walked up behind him and shook her head. "She's gone Max. She's been gone for hours baby."

"What? Did you know she was going to leave?" he asked, moving to push past her, but her hand stopped him.

"Yes. You have to let her do this."

"Why should I?"

"Because she's like us. I was only sixteen when we ran away, and my dad hated it too, but we were in love, and it didn't matter."

"She isn't in love with him."

"Yes she is," she stressed, smiling and shaking her head "and he loves her too. It's so obvious he loves her. He's so quick to protect her and make her feel amazing. He'll be beside her for years on end, just wait, you'll see."

**One Year Later**

The moonlight shone in through the bedroom windows, and he groaned as he was awoken by the soft movement of feet on the wood floors. "Finally home?" he asked tiredly, resting on his back with his wrist settled on his forehead.

Temperance nodded and sidled into bed with him, resting her head on his chest and whimpering softly. "Yeah. Dr. Lemasters was really hard on me this week. He wanted me to do a full cranial reconstruction and there had to be a thousand bone fragments. It took me since 11 this morning to actually finish it."

"Why is he being so hard on you baby?"

"What did I tell you about calling me that?"

"Sorry. Why is being so hard on you?"

"Because I'm sixteen years old and in college," she answered, groaning and kissing his neck softly. "He's just testing me."

"Well, he's going to get a smack in the face because you are the smartest woman he is ever going to come across."

"Well, thank you," she muttered, resting her fingers against the side of his neck, while her lips and teeth worked against his skin, and she smiled as she heard him whimper softly.

"You're a tempest Bones," he groaned, tightening his arms around her, and gasping when she rolled on top of him and brought their lips together forcefully.

"Bones," he breathed out again, his head tilted back as she sucked gently on his neck. "Are you sure about this?"

Temperance sat up, the sheet falling down to her calves, and she smiled at him before she slid her shirt over her head and sat on her knees in front of him, clad in only her black lace, leopard print bra, and matching black lace panties.

"I'm sure," she whispered, smiling at him and laughing when he rolled her onto her back and he crushed his lips to hers, pulling back to attack her skin while assuring that she was going to be the death of him.

**Present Day**

He smiled up at her before she settled down in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, sharing a gentle kiss with him before she looked to the letters in his hand. "What're you looking at?"

"The letters your mom sent us…" he whispered, smiling and shaking his head. "We were crazy kids."

"We were," she assured, smiling at him and kissing his cheek. "But I'm even more surprised that…nineteen years later, and you haven't bragged yet."

"Bragged? About what?"

"Well, when we were leaving that night you said I was going to be a famous forensic anthropologist, and you were going to be my studly partner."

"I'm pretty sure you said that last part."

"I did, but you were right, and you have never once bragged about it."

"I find that when you brag about something, that it tends to go away in the end," he whispered, smiling at her and brushing his hair behind her hair.

"Well, I've been here for nineteen years Booth; I really don't think I'm going anywhere," she argued, brushing her fingers continuously through his hair.

"Still, I'm not willing to risk it, but I am able to risk a little bit…"

"What are you talking about?" Brennan asked, looking at him and smiling, leaning back when he reached into his pocket, and opened his hand to show her a ring decorated with diamonds.

"I would have never thought it would take this long to ask, but…Temperance Brennan, will you marry me?"

She smiled at him and brought their lips together, kissing him passionately before she pulled back and whispered "Yes," so quietly, he thought he imagined it.

But this time he didn't, and he easily slid the ring onto her finger, his hand depositing itself in her hair before he pressed her back on the couch.

"Do you think we'll be able to stand each other as a married couple?" Booth asked, smiling and kissing her neck lovingly.

"Well, we've been together this long, and still love each other. We must be going something right. Who's to say that is going to change just because in the government's eye we're a true couple?"

"You make a very good point Temperance Brennan. A very, very good point."


	36. The Message Is You

**An: Really quick and really shitty drabble that I completely bullshitted just to get out of the way. Lol! I just wanted to post the next chapter of this. (Which I will do tomorrow) that contains the song...**

**Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off (Panic! At The Disco)**

**But of course, I title isn't going to be that long because some reject came up with text limits. XD  
**

_

* * *

Where'd you get that girl?  
Did she smile when you told her that you loved her?  
Taking all the chances that you're never getting back.  
Did you ever say, that all this time there was more than just you and me?  
Keep dreaming now, 'cause I will be the one she calls._

_ -The Message Is You (Life On Repeat)_

"Good bye Andrew," she whispered, smiling and nodding, but keeping her usual professional demeanor. She never expressed PDA in the lab with Hacker; something that Angela caught on to quickly, and as the artist stood at the platform, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the good bye between her best friend and her best friend's 'boyfriend', she knew something went completely wrong, when her friend stiffened, and her eyes hardened.

She watched as Brennan's lips moved quickly and she seemed skittish, a sure sign that Andrew said something he really shouldn't have said, and Angela quickly made her way to her best friend's office when the door closed and Hacker made his way to the sliding glass doors.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Angela asked, closing Brennan's office door behind her as she took in the tense and mind whirling anthropologist.

"I need to break up with him."

"Well, that's a leap. Why exactly?"

"He told me he loved me."

Angela's face fell, and her mouth gaped open. "He didn't…"

"He did. Just now," Brennan nodded, taking in a shaky breath and shaking her head. "And he wants me to have dinner with him tonight. I knew I should have ended this a long time ago."

"If you didn't want to be with him Bren, why didn't you end it earlier?" Ange asked, shaking her head and moving to lean against her friend's desk.

"I don't know," she muttered, standing up and moving around Angela to grab her lab coat. "But I have to get working."

"Oh no no no," the artist interrupted, stopping her friend in her tracks. "You have to talk to him Brennan."

"Like I said we're having dinner tonight," the rational anthropologist stated. "I imagine talking will be present then."

"Yeah but are you actually going to have the balls to go and not run off to Palestine?"

"Well seeing as how I'm a woman-"

"Oh this is bad," Angela muttered, moving her hands to rest on Brennan's shoulders. "Sweetie, you have to confront Hacker about this. You need to tell him you aren't ready for this and break it off before you drag him so far down into this hole neither of you can get out."

"Again Angela we're having dinner tonight and I'll talk to him then, but until seven rolls around I would like to work."

Angela couldn't stop her hell bent best friend as she tore from her office and disappeared into the darkened recesses of limbo, and she also couldn't help the quick movement of her fingers texting the latest gossip to Booth.

At 6:45, Brennan felt a vibration in her pocket, and pulled out her phone to reveal a text message from Booth, growling and hissing Angela's name when she read over the pixilated words.

'_Call me if you need anything'_

So innocent in words, but so deeply dark and personal in meaning, and the anthropologist slammed her phone deep in her pocket without replying.

She continued putting away her bones and by seven she was in her office staring at her phone, contemplating if she should call Hacker and cancel, or just go.

Taking in a deep breath, she pressed the familiar button on the key pad and brought her phone to her ear, smiling softly when she heard the soft, caring voice that always made her heart pulse deep in her ears.

"Bones. Are you okay?" Booth asked over the phone, sitting back in his couch.

"I'll pick up Chinese if you get the beer," was all she said, and it easily pulled a soft chuckle from his lips.

"Deal. But you're sure you don't have anywhere else to be?"

Brennan closed her eyes and sighed, glancing at her watch and at the insistent blinking of her message light on her office phone, before she relented and shook her head to herself. "Nowhere except with you," she whispered.


	37. Lying Is The Most Fun

**An: Haaaaaaaaa love this :)**

**Um, the next song in the line up is...**

**Come Back To Me (Trading Yesterday)  
**

_

* * *

Is it still me that makes you sweat?  
Am I who you think about in bed?  
When the lights are dim and your hands are shaking as you're sliding off your dress?  
Then think of what you did  
And how I hope to God he was worth it.  
When the lights are dim and your heart is racing as your fingers touch his skin._

_ -Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off (Panic! At the Disco)_

In the darkest hours before dawn, a woman returns to her apartment, dressed in a tight, short black dress, but with the sadness in her eyes. And in the darkest hours before dawn a man sets in a chair, his hands clasped in front of him as he watched the saddened woman close and lock her door.

"Temperance Brennan, a victim of the walk of shame," Booth chuckled, shaking and tilting his head when she gasped and turned around to look at him, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Booth, what the hell are you doing in here? It's three in the morning," Brennan argued, placing her purse on the counter with shaky hands before she walked to her couch, swaying in her stiletto heels.

"Was it worth it?" he asked, laughing and looking up to the ceiling. "Was he worth it?"

The tension between them had been palpable in the last few months, and it seemed that every time they were together they had to constantly remind themselves to not tear each others clothes apart. She had been so on edge and horny that she thought she just needed to settle biological urges, but after her run with Hacker, she was sure she only tried to get as far away from Booth as possible without actually leaving him.

"No," she answered truthfully, crossing her legs and settling her hands in her lap. "He wasn't."

"Did he cum for you?"

"Yes."

"You for him?"

"No."

His laugh was throaty, and he stood up the second she rose to her heels and moved towards her bedroom. He reached out and caught her arm, spinning her and pressing her against the wall.

"Booth," she breathed, moving to push him away from her, but stopping the second he reached behind her and gathered her hair in his hand.

"What the hell did he do?" Booth laughed, brushing his fingers against the bruises on her neck and smiling when she shivered. "Try and vacuum off your skin?"

"I'm assuming he thought I would react positively towards…that."

"He should pay more attention," he whispered, brushing his fingers across her neck again. "Even I know sucking on your neck turns you off. You prefer feathering kisses across your neck, and there's only one spot you like suckled, and that's right here," he stated, pressing his thumb against the side of her neck aligned with the back of her ear.

She shivered, and opened her mouth to speak, but gasped loudly when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to that single spot, sucking gently on the skin and pinning her back against the wall to keep her knees from giving out.

Her hands shot to his sides and she dug her nails into his ribs, whimpering and moaning as she thrashed under him, crying out when his knee rose and pressed into her core. "I also know you like friction, almost as much as you like penetration."

Brennan cried out softly and tears of pure, unrelenting pleasure fell down her cheeks, her hips grinding circles hard against his knee. "How the hell do you know all this?"

"It's my job Bones," he whispered, tightening his hold in her hair and suckling harder on her neck. "I pay attention to what people like, what they feel, and what affects them. I notice every time you touch this spot on your neck; you shiver, and move your hips."

"Oh Booth, this feels amazing," she whimpered, panting and holding onto him. "Please, please don't stop."

"I'm not gonna stop baby," Booth growled, pressing his knee into her harder. "I'm only just beginning."

"I want you inside me," Brennan ordered, her hands tightening around his sides but her fingers flared outward to keep from digging her nails fully into his skin.

"You won't last that long," he breathed, smiling and pulling back to wrap his hand around her jaw, and crush their lips together, moving his knee against her one last time, and using his body to keep her from falling when she arched against him and cried out, shivering and dampening the material of his jeans against her core, and moving her hands to his shoulders to keep her steady.

"Could Hacker do that?" Booth asked, stepping back and holding his hands out. "Make you shatter without shedding any of your clothes?"

Brennan took in a deep breath and shook her head, unable to speak as she held onto the wall and to tried to move, but stumbled, and fell forward; straight into his arms.

He brought his arm under her legs, lifting her into his chest and carrying her back into her bedroom. "Would Hacker do this?" he asked, kissing her temple as he moved into her bedroom. "Would he carry you into your room when we can't walk? Would he care about you enough to baby you, and redress you for bed when you're completely worn out?" he whispered, moving to her dresser after he rested her on her bed and pulled out a pair of shorts, a shirt, and a fresh pair of panties.

"Booth, I get it," she begged, her voice sad as she slipped off her heels and her hands shivered as she touched her bare skin and moved to push down her dress.

Booth sighed and walked to her, moving her hands away from her and pulling down her dress until it pooled at her ankles. He kissed her stomach lovingly before he pulled her shirt over her head, and gently slid her panties down her body. He moved her new panties and her shorts to her hips, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, kissing her temple gently "I just don't understand why you would stoop down that low."

"Because I don't know what the hell I'm doing," she admitted, sighing against his chest and stepping back into her bed, pulling him in next to her, and lying down with her head on his chest.

"You seem to know what you're doing now."

"Nope," she whispered, smiling at him and kissing his jaw. "I'm just going with what I feel for once."

"Exactly, Temperance. You seem to know what you're doing."


	38. Did It Again

**An: Ha, well, I knew this was going to happen. I lied! :)**

**I found this song and the AUness just came over me and I busted this out. Sorry for that, but it's all Booth and Brennan and I'm just prolonging this song, so why the hell not?**

**I hope I'll go in order and writing the chapter for Come Back To Me by Trading Yesterday next, but who knows, I might just jump around and do what I WANT!**

**He :)  
**

_

* * *

When it comes to men, it's known,  
That I end up choosing wrong.  
'Cause I always trip and fall.  
The same old rock and repeat and go back._

_How blind a girl can be,  
To miss you hiding your ring.  
Thought about everything,  
I'm so naïve imagining all that._

_Did it again, love, I got it all wrong.  
But it felt so right, I can't believe it.  
And all the mistakes that went on for too long,  
Wish there was a way I could delete it._

_ -Did It Again (Shakira)_

Her eyes opened and her sore muscles screamed as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Leaning down she pulled on her panties and the bra that had been passionately torn from her the night before, along with the t-shirt her bed partner had on before her eager fingers tore it over his head.

Stumbling into the bathroom, she turned the light on and squinted into the brightness. She rubbed her eyes and forced her pupils to adapt before she ran her fingers through her tousled hair and pulled the strands back to run her fingers over her neck.

She shivered as she remembered his lips moving where her fingers touched, softly sucking the skin at her pulse before he soothed the skin down with a pass of his tongue; his actions so gentle that no bruise was left against the tender flesh.

_They had met last night, in the classy bar of the hotel that he was staying in, and the second their eyes had met there was a connection. Her best friend told her to go for it, and when he had came over to ask her if he could buy her something, she accepted his offer._

_He was charming and kind, and respectful; not to mention drop dead gorgeous, and not once did he try to make a move on her._

_He didn't get her drunk, he didn't slip anything into her drink, and he didn't try to fuck her in the bathrooms; he was the pure vision of a gentleman and the only time he touched her in the bar was when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side to send away an overly drunken man trying to push up against her._

_He had invited her upstairs into his room; purely to get away from the night time crowd, and relocate to the porch attached to his room and she had agreed. The talked quietly and friendly with each other as they made their way up to the first floor and down the hall to his room._

_His room was calming, and the soft blues and whites created almost holy air; especially with the god like creature removing his shoes and moving onto the balcony, holding the door open for her and smiling._

_She followed him and settled in the chair beside him, taking the beer he offered her and sipping the refreshing golden liquid, as they talked about anything and everything under the sun._

_He told her he had a son, and that he used to be married, but got divorced years ago; and since then, practically had his son torn out of his life. He told her that he just got back from Quantico and just accepted a job with the FBI here in D.C._

_They had joked and laughed and she informed him about herself, and her role at the Jeffersonian, and as a bestselling author._

"_You know," he whispered, looking over at her and smiling "I don't read enough in the first place, I think tomorrow I'll go out and find your novel and have a look at it."_

"_Yes, but by tomorrow, I won't be here to sign it," she retaliated, standing up and grabbing his empty beer bottle._

_He followed after her and leaned against the opening of the door, watching her move through the hotel room before he muttered. "Not if you come back…"_

_Her shining blue eyes met his deep brown ones and she smiled, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest. "You want me to come back?"_

"_I see no reason why not," he reasoned, closing the door behind him as he moved further into the room and closer to her._

"_I see a reason."_

"_Oh really? And why is that?"_

_She had advanced on him and moved her arms around his neck, pressing their bodies flush together before closing her lips over his and kissing him passionately, their tongues working to fight down the other before she pulled back breathless and whispered her words against his mouth. "Why come back when I can just stay and not go anywhere?"_

She shivered again as her fingers passed over her neck and their passionate coupling flashed in a blur before her eyes; remember specifically his calloused hands and soft lips worshiping every inch of his skin, and the slow movements of their hips, rocking together like they were made of glass and bound to shatter any moment.

She remembered her crying his name, both a sin and a prayer on her lips, and she remembered his soft hand resting against her neck when she had broken, while his lips ghosted over her jaw, cheeks, eyes, nose and forehead.

Her teeth dug into her lips and she smiled as she walked from the bathroom and watched as the first rays of dawn brushed through the room, casting shadows against his muscles and turning him into this dark untouchable entity in the shining, bright room.

She moved back towards the bed, intending to move around to see his face before she noticed a shining object setting on the vanity, rage and sadness peeking deep in her gut when she picked up a wedding ring, far too large to be a woman's.

Angered she clenched the ring in her palm and turned to him, the word 'Liar' burning in her ears as she grabbed his stress ball sitting on the black wood and chucked it at his sleeping form.

"What the hell?" he bellowed, sitting straight up and rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"Because you failed to explain this," she argued, holding up the ring. "I thought you said you were divorced."

"I am."

"Legally or just to yourself?"

"It's not what you think."

"What I think is that you're still married and since your wife didn't put up with you, you went to the closest bar possible to have some woman have sex with you," she screamed, huffing and slamming the ring down on the wood, before she sent off searching for her jeans. "And I can't believe I gave that to you."

"Temperance, just wait," he started, reaching down and pulling his boxers on before he stood up, and his shirt was thrown over his face.

"No. You're a cheater, and a liar," she hissed, pulling her own shirt on and stalking towards the door.

He ran after her and grabbed her waist, turning her quickly and pressing her back against the door, his hips pressing into hers and pulling an unexpected whimper from her lips. "Listen to me," he muttered, his hand coming up to brush her hair behind her ear. "I'm divorced. I have no wife, and you are not my mistress. I had no intentions of sleeping with anyone last night; I was only there to have a few drinks cheaper than the mini bar in here. That was until I saw you."

"Then you wanted to have sex with me?"

"No," he laughed, resting his forehead against hers. "No, no, no. I'm not a one night stand kind of guy. There was just something about you that just sparked my interest."

"Like what?"

"I can't explain it," he whispered, brushing his fingers through her hair. "I just…saw you and found it hard to breathe, and the first thing I thought was 'Wow, she's beautiful'. Then once you gave me that siren smile I knew I had to talk to you. To tell you the truth Temperance, I have felt more in one night with you than I had in years," he confessed, settling his hand against her cheek. "And I promise that I would never lie to you."

"Then whose ring is that?" she asked, her hand wrapping softly around his wrist.

"My father's," he answered, stepping from the door and pulling her with him. "It was in his will for me."

"Wow. I'm a bitch," she whispered, covering her eyes with her hand until he chuckled and brought both of his hands to frame her jaw, tilting her gaze upwards.

"No you're not. Maybe you just like me more than you think."

"I thank you for rubbing it in," she muttered sarcastically, leaning forward and resting her head against his chest. "I'm so sorry."

His arms circled her and he lifted her into the air, sitting on the edge of the bed with her in his lap. He brushed his fingers through her hair and across her cheek, before he brought their lips together, and he smiled when her arms tightened around his neck. "Temperance, its fine. I understand."

She whined and sat up, kissing his forehead softly. "Well, that's for hitting you with your stress ball," she whispered, settling against his chest. "How can I make it up to you?"

"You have nothing to make up," he assured, kissing her forehead again and again. "It's alright."

"Mmm but what if I want to make it up to you?" she muttered huskily, pushing him back against the bed and straddling his waist.

"Then who am I to stop you?" he asked, smiling and sharing a soft chuckle with her before he rose up on his elbow and cupped his hand around the side of her neck, lighting fire against her skin with his own before their lips collided together.


	39. Makin' Moves

**An: This was really not where I wanted to take this, but since I haven't updated in a while, and didn't really know exactly where I wanted to take it in the first place...it's 'kay. :)**

**You guys should really listen to this song, because I forgot how awesome this song was, and the chorus is just so catchy. It makes me want to jump up and down and party with a promiscuous ghost...XD Or something like that.**

**As for the next song, just don't listen to me anymore. I'm keeping it a surprise.  
**

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* * *

Let's quit spitting game, and finish our drinks.  
Then I, then I, I'll spit the truth.  
Let's start makin' moves, and get some more drinks,  
Then I, then I, I'll give it to you._

_Come o', come o', come o', come over here.  
(Check the clock girl you're wasting time).  
Come o', come o', come o', come over here.  
(I need your touch girl, I need it tonight)_

_Who says I'm right, alright?  
Maybe this is all wrong.  
Need more than one night,  
To put the, put the moves on.  
Who's gonna pick, who's gonna choose?  
Could I, could I, again with you?_

_Black tie, white dress, beautiful affair.  
It isn't fair, it isn't fair.  
Did you wish for me? 'Cause I move for you.  
(Baby stop)…picture me inside of you._

_Come o', come o', come o', come over here.  
(Check the clock girl you're wasting time)  
Come o', come o', come o', come over here.  
(I need your touch girl, I need it tonight)_

_ -Makin' Moves (Watchout! There's Ghosts)_

Déjà vu: the feeling that you are having exactly the same experience as one you have had before.

Such experience applied now, and his hands passed over his alcohol clouded eyes in worry.

His fingers tightened on the shot glass, and his throat worked against the tie tied tight to his neck. Reaching up he undid the bow and watched as the darkened dance floor was allot with movement as everyone danced around, with Hodgins and Angela at the center of the pit.

They had finally come through with their official ceremony, and as everyone expected, Angela went crazy, and Hodgins' held on for the ride.

But what held his attention more was that he sat at the bar, close to his partner, with shot glasses held between their fingers and a tequila bottle waiting for their use.

Pouring more of the bitter liquid in their respected glasses, they clinked their drinks together silently, before downing the shot and slamming the remains on the table. Looking at each other they smiled drunkenly and her hand pressed hard to her head to stop the insistent throbbing.

"You 'kay Bones?" he slurred heavily, reaching out to rest his hand against her arm.

"This music is too loud," she growled, squeezing her eyes closed and shivering when her attention quickly focused on the soft movement of his thumb against her skin.

"Come on," he offered, taking her hand and leading her around the crowd until they reached the balcony that hung off the ballroom, and glanced over one of Hodgins' tennis courts. Stepping into the night air Brennan instantly shivered and crossed her arms across her chest, trying to fight off the cold kissing her bare arms.

Closing the large double doors, he turned to see her hunching close to rail, her hands tucked tight to her body as small, torturing gusts of wind brushed through the soft curls of her auburn hair, settled against her milky white skin.

Walking up behind her, he slid his jacket from his shoulders, and tucked them over her own, smiling at her softly as his hands rubbed her skin through the fabric to try and warm her up.

Looking up into his eyes, she quickly closed her own, and her breathing became shaky as his tantric hands warmed her skin. Opening her fogged mind to the world around her, she glanced up at the moon and tried to arrange her rational mind, but her rampant thoughts blocked her progress.

Insanity: extreme foolishness, or an act that demonstrates such foolishness…or as we so lovingly define as doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome.

She was expecting a different outcome, and even the tightened grip on the black rails in front of her weren't enough to stop it.

"Are you okay Bones?" he asked again, his hot breath brushing against her neck, and bringing the hairs to stand on end from the electricity coursing through her.

Passion: strong emotions, especially as distinct from reason or intellect.

She felt it run through her blood, pulsing with her heart and poisoning her cells like a plague. She had no grip on reason, and whether it was the alcohol, the close proximity, or the flashback to seven years ago, she couldn't stop her hands from leaving the bars, and her body turning into his.

"There's no hope for us," she whispered, her instant double meaning confusion to Booth's ears. "We've wandered into insanity a long time ago."

"What are you talking about Bones?"

"There is no rational thought," she instantly replied, glancing to his lips before she reached her hand out and her fingers brushed feather light touches against his stomach. "Rationality is dead in my mind when you're around, and without reason, without proof, without physical evidence I can see with my own eyes, there is nothing."

"Okay, Bones, I think you've had a little too much to drink. How about I call a cab to take you home, and you can get a good night's sleep eh?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't sleep Booth. I hardly sleep anymore. All because of you."

"You really need to slow down and tell me exactly what the hell you're talking about-"

The raw emotion that bled into her eyes caught a gasp on his lips, and the tightening of her hands around his sides brought a shiver to rip through his spine. She pressed him backwards until his dress shirt was brushing against the prickling texture of the bricks, and the emotion that was pumping through her brought a shake to her hands.

"This thing that we have Booth…what we think we are, is empty. There is nothing there except irrational expectations and insanity. I can't take it anymore. I can't feel this helpless anymore, I won't have it!"

On instinct, his hand rose and his fingers brushed away the strand of hair that was blown into her face, his throat once again working against his too tight clothing as their closeness hit him like a semi, and his hand settled comfortingly against her cheek. "Then what can I do Bones? What can I do to make you feel better?"

Her breath was wispy, but hit him straight in the gut as she uttered the simple words. "Show me what I've been missing."

Her arms circled his neck, and her body pressed flush to his body. His arm circled her, and his hand spanned her lower back, their breaths mingling as she invaded his space, and he was powerless to argue.


	40. Breakeven

**An: Just like everyone else in the fanfiction world...(or at least I think) I'm being super slow at updating my stories. XD Haha. But I just pulled out my little blue book, and ran through the shit load of NEW songs I have to add to this list and thought 'Well shit, better hop on this before it gets out of hand.'**

**Yeah I know...THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!**

**So now I'm juggling trying to catch up on my stories, read the second Ranger's Apprentice book, and roleplay with my friend. And so far, I'm digging it. I never once juggled all of those things together, because usually I go through my cycles of writing, then drawing then reading...Now I'm just mixing them together.**

**Win ;)**

**So enjoyz!  
**

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* * *

They say bad things happen for a reason,  
but no wise words gonna stop the bleeding.  
'Cause she moved on while I'm still grieving,  
and when a heart breaks, no it don't break even, even no._

_What am I suppose to do when the best part of me was always you?  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay?  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah.  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah._

_I'm falling to pieces.  
(One's still in love while the other one's leaving)  
I'm falling to pieces.  
('Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't break even)_

_ -Breakeven (The Script)_

I was so sure what I thought to be true was true, but it was just something in those saddened blue depths that itched at me; trying to tell me that I was wrong. She whispered that her name was 'Bones', but I had never heard her called that before, because to me she was 'Bren'. She told me that she wasn't pregnant, but only days before she was wrapped in my arms dispelling our nightly wine glass for that reason.

And worst of all; oh indeed the worst of all, she told me we weren't married, and that we were only partners…work partners.

The tears were silent, but they made their way down my cheeks, and the only thing I wanted to ask was 'Why?' Why would she say we weren't married, and why, the whole time she was telling me this, did she look remorseful, and completely heartbroken?

I wasn't able to ask her those questions, because once a mere four days passed, she was in my hotel room, completely packed and ready to go to Guatemala.

I asked her why she was going, and she tried again and again to tell me what I was an FBI agent, and she was a forensic anthropologist. She told me she worked with bones to solve both modern and ancient mysteries, and every time I had the inkling to ask why she was playing this charade.

I asked about our night club, about our child, about our staff, but every time those names came up, the tears would start trekking down her face, and I could do nothing to stop them.

I tried so many times to try and bring her into my arms when she was upset. So many times I tried to hug her, and bring her close enough to kiss, but the whole time she kept her distance; as if she knew exactly what my intentions were and decided against them.

"Bren," I whispered before she was about to leave, the sadness deepening in her features. "What happened to us?"

"I've been asking the same question over and over for a week now Booth," she had returned, and her hand gingerly rested over my arm before she pulled away and quickly brushed back the tears gathering against her beautiful ivory skin.

I didn't understand why she was being so distant, and I didn't believe the story she was telling me, but once my doctor came in; only hours after she left, and told me that I had a brain tumor and was in a coma for four days, I felt my face pale and my mind started racing.

I wondered if her story was really true, but every time I considered the situation I assumed it wasn't.

Our life had been so real. Our friends had been so real, our club had been so real…_we_ had been so real; and now I had these different people of identical faces trying to set me on a different path.

All except Zach…who, everyone wouldn't mention.

Their faces all held pity, and they all promised I would get back into the swing of things, but it all just seemed to make it worse, and I demanded to spend my nights in lonely darkness, tears of worry and despair both present on my skin and in my eyes.

I wanted my wife back, and I wanted out life back.

I wanted us to make passionate love at four in the morning, and I wanted to be there through her entire pregnancy.

I wanted to hold my baby girl in my arms, with large blue eyes staring up at me that matched exactly to her mothers, and I wanted to rest in my bed with both Bren and the baby were sleeping; a silent haven to admire my two most favorite people in the world.

I wanted that world back…not this one.

I'm in purgatory, unsure of what's going on or truly where I am.

The people I look at, and talk to have the same names, and the same faces, but they aren't the same people. Hodgins isn't an author, and Angela isn't creativity deprived. Cam isn't a detective, and my brother isn't her partner. Zach is nowhere to be seen and Sweets isn't a bartender.

Everything has been turned upside down, and shaken with a force more powerful than God.

But in the end I don't really care about all of these people that I know…but don't really know. I care about the fact that I broke the heart of the one person I love most in this world, and now, she's half a world away.

Running, from me, and everything I can give her.


	41. Anniversary

**An: It's funny, because this song is called Anniversary, and when the season starts up will be like an anniversary...oh shit, you guys know what I'm saying, and you also know that I've been very slow in writing. (segue!) And I'm very sorry for that. My muse is being a total bitch and I'm trying my best to bust these out because I have a shit load of new songs that I'm going to have to write fics for before I actually get back onto the pre-shuffled list I wrote up for about three hours...yeah...XD**

**Eh, oh well. I'm going to try and write a lot tonight, but you know...things don't always go as planned :P**

**This song is awesome for Booth and Brennan though. XD (forgot to add that part :])  
**

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* * *

You know me and I'll state the obvious  
Your the light, in my life  
When I say I need you (say I need you)  
You know the truth  
Because my hearts not whole when it's not beating around you_

_Take it out of context  
Take it out of my head  
You know where you stand  
Take it out of context  
Take it out of my head  
You know where you stand_

_You'd never know where we'd go it's incredible  
You'd never know where we'd go to be alone when  
You'd never know where we'd go to be incredible now  
You'd never know where we'd go it's incredible  
You'd never know where we'd go to be alone when  
You'd never know where we'd go to be incredible now_

_You know me, much better than anyone or everyone in my life_

_ -Anniversary (The Years Gone By)_

For one of the first times in a whole year, he was able to look into her shining blue eyes once again. He had seen many blue eyes throughout his time away from her, but never had he been able to find a pair that compared to those that belonged to her.

And as if she had known what he was thinking, she smiled and her eyes became just a fraction lighter.

His heart beat rapidly, and his own smile faltered as he began to think. As his heart was racing and he was staring deep into her oceanic eyes he saw that familiar sight that both scared the shit out of him, and gnawed at his supply of pure want.

He saw two pairs of those identical eyes, one belonging to her, and another belonging to a bouncing baby girl, running through the house they shared with crayons in her hand demanding her mother's attention.

He saw the small hand grabbing her finger and pulling her to the small table set up near the kitchen, where said bouncing baby girl had drawn a stick figure picture of their family, with the typical captions overhead.

He saw the smile on her mother's face; on his partner's face; on his wife's face and he saw her move into the kitchen to place the picture proudly on the refrigerator. The bouncing baby girl smiled and hugged her mother's leg, pointing to the small figure drawn beside her own portrait.

"That's the baby," she said, smiling and moving her small hand to span over her mother's rounding stomach. "I drew his blanket blue because I know he's going to be a boy."

Though the knowledge was impossible at her time of pregnancy, she smiled down at her beautiful daughter and swept her into her arms; balancing her on her hip for a moment while brushing a curly lock of dark brown hair from her face. "And why do you think that?"

"Because," she said defiantly, as if that single word was the answer to any question that could be asked. "And he's going to look like daddy."

"You know," her mother whispered in return, smiling and glancing behind the corner where she knew her husband was standing. "I think you're right. How about you draw me a picture of how you think the baby is going to look when he is born and I'll fix us all something to eat."

"Mac 'n cheese?" the child asked enthusiastically, straightening in her mother's arms and becoming a slight burden to her back.

"That sound good Booth?" she called, before setting their daughter down and leaning on the counter; smiling a mischievous and knowing smile that brought the smallest of glows into his eyes.

"Bones," he said definitively, moving towards her with a large smile on his face. "You always know my answer when it comes to your mac 'n cheese. It's always yes."

Their daughter jumped in excitement and wrapped her arms around her mother, pressing her cheek to the belly that supported the life of her sibling. "I don't know if you've ever had mom's mac 'n cheese baby brother but it's delicious! Just make sure mommy doesn't eat it all."

The two adults locked eyes and laughed and that vision seemed to fade away to their current diner scene, where she was looking at him with concern and interest; both of them knowing that the look of loss and pain was plainly written upon his face.

"Booth," she whispered, gingerly reaching across the table to rest her hand over his forearm. "Are you okay?"

But that small shimmer in her eyes told him that he didn't have to give her an answer; for she already knew the answer was no. She knew everything about him, but the one thing she doesn't know; and if worse came to worse: will never know; was the peaceful, rewarding, happy life that he could give to her.


	42. Break Your Heart

**An: Okay. I really don't know how to feel about this chapter. I'm not hardcore happy with it, but I think it's fun. Totally AU! And kind of inspired by the actual music video for this song. But I suppose not-so-sure chapters are what I get for listening to music I don't really listen to...I blame everyone at the pool who I work with...XD I get this craze from them.**

**Also, explanation is that Booth is rich, and he is friends with many rich people hence the mogul ness.**

**ALSO I'M TRYING TO WORK ON AS MANY CHAPTERS AS I CAN TODAY...SO STAY NEAR YOUR EMAIL...Maybe I really don't know what I'll get done. XD  
**

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* * *

_

_If you fall for me  
I'm not easy to please  
I might tear you apart  
Told you from the start, baby from the start_

_I'm only gonna break break your, break break your heart._

_ -Break Your Heart [Remix] (Taio Cruz feat. Ludacris)_

Moving his arm around her shoulder, he guided them down the board walk; the night sky bringing a soft breeze that brushed lovingly through her hair and teased the hem of her sinfully short black dress.

Jumping into the boat before her, he held onto the docks and held his hand out for her, smirking at her as she easily stepped onto the deck, and showed her affection by a tender pass of her fingers through his hair.

She settled in the passenger's seat and watched as he unknotted a heavy yellow rope from the dock, and threw the tail to the floor below. Moving to the driver's seat, he started the boat and drifted further away the splintered wood platform before he sped off through the multiple colored markers and the boat rocked and jumped with the oncoming current.

Glancing at each other, they laughed and shook their heads. She reached over and brushed her fingers against his neck, and he slowed the boat to a drift, turning to kiss the inside of her forearm as the lights of the yacht pierced the darkness a ways ahead of them.

"I'm going to warn you of this now," he whispered, locking their eyes while moving his hand to push away some flying strands of auburn hair. "Just because I really like you, but I'm probably going to break your heart."

He expected surprise or offense to rise into her beautiful eyes, but instead received a small laugh and a bright smile.

"You think I didn't expect that before?" she whispered in a silky voice. "Booth, you are a D.C. Mogul. How can the ladies keep their hands off you? Besides, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough that I'm the best you're ever going to get," she whispered, her smile bringing his heart to a flutter.

"So, you think you're really here to stay?"

"Booth, I know you're a gambler. I also know that you like testing the waters with possible relationships but everything sounds rational to me. We aren't in a public, committed relationship, which in turn makes us both single," she pointed out, scratching her nails sensually across his neck again. "But, you won't be playing a single player game honey. Good looks go far in this town."

Booth looked over at her and his eyes crinkled at the sides as he laughed; angling the boat towards the back of the yacht. "You know what Brennan, I really like you."

"Well, that's good to know," she teased, standing and grabbing the rope tossed haphazardly at her feet. Casting it and tying their boat to the yacht, she smiled at his stunned face, and placed her hand out towards him.

The music was blaring, lights were flashing, and glasses were clanking on the top floor of the yacht; making Brennan's voice barely audible, but he remained sure he could make out her sweet tone anywhere. "Need some help out?" she teased, and squealed when he jumped from the boat and grabbed her hips.

He lifted her onto the deck and held her tight as she fell into his chest against her unsteady heels. The shadows encircled them, and a sweet smile arced between them before one of his hands rose to her cheeks and their lips pressed together.

Their kiss was slow, tender, loving even; and their smiles were contagious as they laughed into the kiss, and parted when the yacht lurched and she stumbled. He tightened his hold around her and kissed her forehead. "You know, if you pass my little tests tonight, you might be the one."

"Your fan girls won't be happy about that," she argued tenderly, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Maybe not, but if my eyes keep going to you when I'm swarmed with beautiful ladies, then I'll know you'll be it. Then the fan girls can go find someone else to try and milk," he stated, moving his thumb against her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her lips once more.

"Mmm think you can handle me at your side all day every day?"

"Oh baby I think I can handle ANYTHING you dish out," he teased, smiling at the determined look in her eyes.

"Well, we'll just see about that," she assured, bringing her hands to his face for one last passionate kiss, before she moved up the circular steps and a very happy looking Hodgins called out a greeting to Booth.

"Seel my man!" the curly haired billionaire called, hugging his friend briefly. "How is life treating you? And who is this beautiful woman who has accompanied you?"

"I'm Temperance," she introduced herself, reaching her hand out and shaking the hand of the slightly drunken man. "Temperance Brennan."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Miss Brennan," Hodgins muttered, kissing her hand tenderly. "What is such a beautiful woman like yourself running around with this reject?" he teased, glancing at Booth and laughing before gently punching his arm. "No I'm just kidding. This is all exclusive, and the alcohol is free. Drink all you want and make sure you head downstairs at some time, we have a whole casino set up with you in mind Boothy."

"Thanks man," Booth said, touching his knuckles to Hodgins' before the curly haired business man disappeared into an awaiting crowd of beautiful, thin, and obviously horny women beckoning for his attention.

Moving in front of Brennan, he accepted two of the champagne glasses sloshing on a waiter's silver tray as he walked through the party. Giving one to Brennan, he smiled at their proximity, and laughed out loud at the still competitive look in her eyes. "So, you really think you're going to be able to handle watching me floating in a mass pit of gorgeous women?"

"Well, for every gorgeous woman here, there has to be quite a few very attractive men. The odds are in my favor this time Booth," she teased, smiling and touching her glass to his before bringing the sweet, bubbly alcohol to her lips. "I'll be fine. I think the real concern should be directed towards you."

"Babe you have nothing to worry about," he assured, sizing her up over his champagne glass while she did the exact same. Placing their empty glasses on passing empty trays, they raised their eye brows in good bye and moved into their crowds.

Booth moved to a large couch where multiple girls where whistling for his attention. They all plastered on their fake smiles and moved closer to him; the lucky ones resting their hands against the toned chest hidden under the crisp white button up shirt.

Turning his charm smile on, he reveled in how easy these girls melted into his hand, and how stubborn Brennan was over all. On a laugh he looked towards the dance floor and jealously flickered across his face when he saw Brennan pressed against the chest of another guy, dancing and whispering to each other over the loud music.

As if on instinct, Brennan's grey blue eyes turned to his and her smirk screamed trouble. Her hands slid tantalizingly slow up the unknown man's chest, and settled against his cheeks; crashing their lips together forcefully. Their kiss didn't last long, but it was enough to rile up Booth, and his arms tightened around the girls he was holding; looking to one and whispering in her ear, before he looked to the other and their lips connected tenderly.

Watching from across the boat Brennan laughed and shook her head, unfazed by his interactions with the sluts cradled around him. When the song changed, she kissed her dance partner good bye and moved towards the edges of the crowd, making her way to the bar and ordering her usual glass of wine.

The second her fingers connected with the glass, she felt a soft hand on her back and turned to find the smiling face of her best friend. Laughing, Brennan stood up and wrapped Angela in her arms, chuckling softly before ordering the same glass of wine for her and motioning to the bar seat beside her.

"What are you doing here Angela?" Brennan asked, turning towards her and leaning forward against the loud music. "I didn't know you were back in from Paris, and this doesn't seem to be your usual scene."

The blood red dress she was wear dove down between the lines of her cleavage, and fell away from her back, revealing much of Angela's naturally tanned skin. Her long, wavy black hair was pulled into a pony tail that fell over her right shoulder and her makeup was smoky and perfect like usual. "Oh sweetie," Angela drug out, chuckling and shaking her head, "I know many, many people," she assured, winking and drinking from her wine glass before she leaned closer to her friend. "But I just got back in. Everything was so formal there, and I needed a little party to unwind. Who I'm surprised to see is you. What exactly are you doing here?"

"I…met someone," Brennan admitted, keeping her eyes on her lap, before she glanced up and laughed at the squeal that broke through Ange's lips.

"Oh Bren who? What's his name? Where is he? Is he hot?"

"His name is Booth-" she started, but stopped when Angela held her hand up, and a look of pure concern floated onto her face.

"As in, Seeley Booth?"

"Yes, why?"

"Bren. He has a reputation to not be that respectful to anyone he dates."

"You just don't understand why he does it Ange. It's purely innocent, and means nothing."

"I still don't like him. Care to enlighten me on what I'm missing?"

Taking a deep breath, Brennan stood and grabbed her wine glass. She motioned towards the steps that led down to the bow of the yacht and they moved down into the quiet corner; the music no longer throbbing all around them.

Leaning against the bars, Brennan crossed her arms against the cold and glanced out into the starry sky; counting how many stars she could see in the bay's surface before soft waves broke the image.

"Okay. The whole story is that Booth has had problems with a lot of his girlfriends. He is close friends with many of the richest men in the city and he always has the fear that his girls are just after his money or sex. They start acting like they possess him, and that he is their property, so he plays this mad flirt game to test waters with potential relationships. If this girl starts a scene and a cat fight he isn't going to date her because she will most likely become demanding down the line. So, he's testing the waters with me now, and we created this little bet to see who can make who jealous faster…poor bastard is losing," Brennan nodded, drinking her wine and turning her eyes to Angela.

"I still don't know sweetie. His logic seems kind of off to me," Angela muttered, sighing as the soft sound of the bay waves soothed her. "I just…don't want this guy to hurt you, because if he does I'm going to war with a full sized and full funded army."

Bren laughed and shook her head, brushing her hair back behind her ear, before a small smile broke her lips, and she glanced back up at the sky. "He isn't going to hurt me Angela."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because, while we were making this whole bet, and talking about all this, he said that if I held up on his tests I would be the one," she explained, leaning against the bars and looking down at the ground as she tried to wipe away the giddy smile on her face. "I think he actually feels something for me."

"What will happen if you pass these tests and you two become a couple?" Ange asked, smiling at the look of pure happiness on her friend's face. "Will he still have all of those girls hanging on him?"

"Well, probably not," Brennan muttered, looking up at Ange and smiling. "If we really become something, I'm going to establish my alpha female standing. I'm not going to fight with other girls for him simply because he isn't a prize in my mind. He's a normal human being who wants to have a woman that he can love, and who will love him in return. He wants to get married and live his high life with someone he can expect to wake up to every morning. He's very sentimental, and if he were to choose me, then I would just simply make it known that I'm the best, and that his heart lies with me."

"Is he a gambler?"

"Yeah, he likes to gamble some, why?"

"He sounds like an 'all in' man."

"He is. He's always all or nothing. That's what he's doing with me now. He's checking out the players by playing this little game, but at the end of the night he'll know exactly what he wants to do."

"Are you sure you're ready to be all in with him? I mean, you aren't the spontaneous type and you don't really know him."

"I've been talking with him for a good few months now Angela. We've gone to eat quite a few times and had drinks for a couple nights before he finally asked if I wanted to go to this party with him. I don't think I've ever met a man who I can talk so easily with," Brennan reveled, smiling and tightening her hold around one of the bars as she took in the impact of her words. "We both seemed to just…click with each other, and we talked literally every night before we both went to bed."

"I can see he makes you happy," Ange whispered, smiling and tapping under her friend's chin. "Very happy."

"He does," she assured. "I find it amazing. It's just, he's playful, sweet, kind, caring and nothing but respectful. Trust me on that. He's a stickler for chivalry; no matter how much I fought him in the beginning. And every time I talk to him I just feel all the stresses of my day melt away, and when he looks at me I catch this look of adoration, and then there are other times where I see something deeper and it…steals my breath away, in all seriousness."

"Aww," Angela squealed, moving forward and wrapping her arms around her best friend. "I think my little Brennan has finally fallen in love with someone."

Brennan stiffened in Angela's arms but sighed and relaxed, shaking her head when they parted. "I think it's too early for me to say definitely, but everything about him and us is different to me, so that could be a very plausible theory."

A group of giggling girls moved down the steps on the other side of the boat, their laughs echoing obnoxiously in the air as the doors of the casino opened, and then closed seconds later.

"How about, before you go back upstairs and return to your prowl that we hit the tables," Angela offered. "I need to see if my student is any good."

Brennan laughed and nodded, walking with Angela into the casino, until she stilled and saw Booth standing at the craps table. He looked up at her and smiled, winking at her as he threw out the dice, and seconds later Booth's groupies erupted into screams of joy.

"Oh this is going to be good," Brennan said, moving to the end of the table once the black marker was set out.

"Hey Angel," he teased, leaning against the edge and winking again at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to kick your ass," she said simply, reaching into her cleavage and removing a large wad of cash. Smirking at him and threw a one hundred dollar bill on the table, before she pulled another one out and waved it at him. "Want me to spot this time?"

"What kind of a gentleman would I be to take money from a woman?" Booth asked, resting his hand on his chest while shaking his head. "No thanks babe, I'm alright."

"Suit yourself _babe_," she growled incredulously, placing the large wad of money back between her breasts. "Don't come begging when in the next couple of minutes I wipe you clean."

"Bring it on," he demanded, and she quickly delivered.

Within minutes the large crowd surrounding the craps table was either team Brennan or team Booth. The whole casino was swept with screaming people, and chips were being pulled in right and left. But after a few hours Booth had to tap out, and shook his head at the woman standing on the other side of the table.

"Temperance Brennan, you are amazing."

"I'm aware," she said, gathering her chips in her arms and nodding towards the small kiosk near the back of the room.

Taking the hint he excused himself from his group of girls, and moved with her to exchange their chips. When their money was tucked away, they slipped out the back of the casino, and moved into a darker corner of the boat's bow.

Wrapped in each others arms, he pressed her against a clear wall on the boat. Their lips fought passionately, their heads swimming as her leg hitched over his hip and his hand trailed down the soft skin of her leg. Breathing heavily he almost didn't recognize the breeze brushing against his chest as her fingers worked away the buttons of his shirt, and her nails scrapped over his muscles.

"Oh we can't do this here," he whispered, pulling away from her lips, but finding himself drawn to the soft skin of her neck. "Oh god we have to stop."

"Why?"

"Because, I want this to be special," he confessed, pulling back and bringing his palms to her cheeks. "Temperance, I want you to be my girl- no, I want you to be my everything. And I want to drive that boat back to the dock, take you back to my penthouse, and show you how much I really care about you, bathed in candle light."

"Then let's go," she breathed, her voice gentle and tender and to him; incredibly sexy.

"We will, if you tell me how you feel about…us."

She opened her mouth to speak, but instead her lips turned into a smile and she stared deep into his loving brown eyes. She reached up and skated her fingers over his skin, before she brought their lips together and rested her forehead against his. "I have found that in my case, my point is better explained when I show you, and don't tell you."


	43. The Perfect Mistake

**An: Short, I know I suck. XD But, I'm just TRYING to put a dent in all of these songs that I newly put on my iPod so I can get back to the usual list. XD LMFAO. It's not going to be 700 some songs now, It's going to be 800 some. Yay! :) XD Not!**

**Yeah, this is more just a drabble in Booth's perspective about the happenings of the 100th episode. :P**

**Yay? Again. Lol!**

**Alrighty, like I said, stay by the inboxes, because I'm trying to update my stories a lot today since I've been such a jerk wad for not doing so earlier.  
**

_

* * *

_

_Wake me up, I've been dreaming  
Cause I haven't heard from you in…days  
Hazy now, this fog just follows me around  
And it's only you that burns it away_

…

_I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now._

_ -The Perfect Mistake (Cartel)_

'_This is what I get for listening to that twelve year old in the first place,'_ he growled internally, sitting back in his leather couch as he sloshed the whiskey in his glass weakly, before downing the rest of the bitter salvation.

A day before, he had relived _that day, _the one day he had been trying to ignore from the beginning, and a day before, the part of his brain that still lived for the thrill of gambling was poked at, and revved into full force.

He forgot everything that he had learned about her over the years, and listened to the prodding words of a shrink.

He rushed her, confessed everything to her, and the outcome; of course; was her pushing him away.

He shut her down, and brought her to tears, but in a backwards way she did the same, and that whole night washed down the tubes. The beautiful life that they could have would never be, because he was sure that she didn't want anything to do with him…at least not in that way.

He's always felt something for her other than the usual friendship, and remembering just how much he felt for her the first day he met her drove him insane. He knew he loved her, he knew he wanted her, and he knew if she gave them a chance they would be together until they died.

No one else knew her like he did, and no one else knew exactly how to handle her. So many days and nights of his life he spent in the vicinity of this woman that epitomized everything he was in awe of. But just because he practically worshiped her meant nothing, because in her eyes, extending their friendship would be the biggest mistake she could ever make.

Sighing, he stood and threw his glass into the sink; stumbling into his bedroom where he knew he would only dream about her.

Staring at his phone as he undressed, he craved to press that familiar button on his speed dial so he could hear her voice, but he knew better than to rush her further.

He would just have to wait, and hope that at some time she would call him, and they would be able to personally talk about what happened, instead of have to worry about the progress of a murder investigation on top of their own problems.

Closing his eyes didn't dispel the fog that had settled over his whole being, but thinking of her helped. He tried to remain hopeful, and tried to think of something that could reassure him, because even though he said that he had to move on, he knew deep in his heart that that was impossible.

'_Well…everyone makes mistakes…even the amazing Dr. Temperance Brennan. Hopefully I'll be one of those mistakes.'_


	44. We Love Like Vampires

**An: Short and pointless, but it's something. I love this song, and love the idea of Booth and Brennan loving like vampires, but this wasn't necessarily carefully thought out, and more so just quickly thrown together.**

**But no less, enjoy.  
**

_

* * *

Tonight has lasted long enough  
The sun is coming  
From dusk 'till dawn we tear it up  
The sun is coming out  
I just want to hear your sounds  
We love like vampires  
You'll be lost and never found  
Dancing the underground_

_ -We Love Like Vampires (Sparks The Rescue)_

"Booth! Come on! You're the one who is always telling me to get away from work, and we both have worked nonstop for the past two years," Brennan ranted over her shoulder as she led him back into her office. "Angela and Hodgins are going back to Paris for a week, and Cam and Michelle are going to Jamaica with their family for the same amount of time, why don't we just take a week off?"

"Bones, I have no spare money to go anywhere," Booth explained, moving to one of the chairs in front of her desk. "And I'm not going to let you pay for me."

"Why not? I have a considerable amount of money-"

"No," he stated, passing his hand through the air signifying the end of the conversation.

"Well," she began, leaning forward so that her chin was rested on the palm of her hand. "Let's go camping."

He narrowed his eyes at the smile that spread across her face, and quirked an eye brow as she chuckled almost darkly. "Exactly where would we be camping, Bones? And why would we go camping? It's freezing outside."

"I said nothing about camping outside," she said rationally, wiggling her eye brow before she stood and grabbed her coat from the coat rack behind her.

"Bones, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Call Cullen," she demanded, pulling her hair from the back of her collar. "Tell him you'll be taking a week of vacation, and that any calls of major importance should be directed to the next suitable agent."

"I'm not going to do that until you tell me what you're thinking," Booth argued, standing up and reaching out to clasp his hand around her forearm and still her erratic movements.

Brennan smiled at him, and flipped her phone open, pressing a single button on the number pad before putting the device to her ear, and leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to his lips. "Then I'll do it," she whispered, pushing away from him with a smile on her lips. "Grab my things for me will you?"

"Bones, if we're camping don't I need clothes?"

"Not necessarily."

"What do you mean not necessarily?"

"I mean exactly what I said. You won't necessarily need clothes," Brennan stated obviously, squeezing the hand she held in her own as she waited for her publisher to pick up the phone.

"Temperance Brennan-"

"Shirley? Yes, hello. I'm just calling just to warn you that I won't be able to be contacted through the next week…I'm going camping. Yes. I agree, a vacation was much needed. Yes, I'll be back to work November 22nd. Alright. Have a good week. Goodbye," she spoke, closing her phone and sliding it into the front pockets of her coat. Looking over at him she smiled, and kissed his knuckles softly, moving her thumb against the side of his hand soothingly. "Booth will you just relax and trust me?"

"I do trust you," Booth said, looking over at her and smiling, before turning his attention back to the road. "But I would just like to know why I don't need clothes, and what the hell you're planning."

"Don't worry about it," she breathed, laughing and leaning over to kiss his cheek. "You'll enjoy it. I promise you."

"How are you so sure?" he asked, looking over at her quizzically, before turning the Sequoia quickly and heading towards the parking garage of her apartment complex.

"Oh trust me," Brennan purred, raising her eye brows invitingly. "You'll _love _this camping trip."

The rising moon peaked through Brennan's heavy grey curtains, casting a ray of silver light over the intertwined bodies stretched under a single silver silk sheet.

His arm was wrapped completely around her back, and he kept his hand settled on her bare hip as his other arm remained tucked close to his chest; holding the side of her face as they kissed softly and slowly.

She felt his erratic heartbeat under her fingers, and used her feet to push the sheet; already at their hips; further down their legs to cool their heated bodies. The window was cracked, and November air snuck into the roasting room, slowly cooling the air around them, but doing nothing to chill the sweat plastering their bodies together.

They parted their lips and pressed their foreheads together to breathe, and Brennan chuckled happily as she slid one of her hands up into his hair. "I told you you would like this camping trip."

"You could have just told me we would have been camping in bed and I would have been a whole lot more corporative," Booth muttered, ducking down to gently kiss her neck.

The soft feathering of his lips brought her arms to circle his torso and tighten on her hold, her fingers digging into his back and bringing her spine to curve towards him.

"You know," she breathed, taking in a shaky breath as she pressed her lips to his strong shoulder. "If we keep this up, we'll be exhausted by the time the sun rises, and end up with nocturnal sleeping habits."

He chuckled darkly, and pressed her tighter to his chest, biting down teasingly on her neck, before sucking softly on the skin, and bringing pain to shoot through his synapses in form of her penetrating finger nails. "Well, then I guess we'll just love like vampires."

"Vampires are mythical creatures that-"

He reached up and captured her lips, stopping her tirade and sparking her body into action; soon finding himself rested on his back with her straddling his waist.

"Okay," she whispered, kissing across his jaw and down his neck. "For this week…we'll love like vampires."


	45. No Envy No Fear

**An: Two points of address:**

**1) 1,000,000,000,000 Epic points if you can tell me what Bones episode this song was from WITHOUT looking it up.  
2) The cuteness...it sickens me.**

_

* * *

When your sister turns to leave  
only when she's most in need  
take away the cause of pain  
by showing her we're all the same._

_ -No Envy No Fear (Joshua Radin)_

She felt the horror wash over her, and for a second her world flashed black. Her heart was pounding and she felt dizzy, but mostly…she felt scared. Terrified: like she spent multiple years of her life; hiding from the scrutinizing gazes of vain mothers, and the strong, powerful fists of angered fathers.

They abandoned her…they both abandoned her, blaming their own dumb mistakes.

They were criminals; and in a vain attempt to 'save' her, they left her for dead in the hands of ruthless beings that could care less about the life of a self conscious, quiet, odd looking fifteen year old girl.

Tears washed down her face as she sat on the couch in her office; holding the dolphin belt buckle that she remembered admiring. Her skin pricked as she brushed a thumb over the rusting metal, but the appeal was still there. To her it still looked as beautiful as it did when it was brand new.

"Bones," she heard; the sudden sound of his voice making her jump. She looked over at him and sighed, quickly wiping away the tears that had gathered against her skin. She felt embarrassment heat under her skin, and she refused to meet his gaze; hating feeling so vulnerable, and allowing for him to see her cry.

"Bones," he said again, walking further into her office, and standing in the middle of the room; his shadow looming over her like a dark cloud shrouding her from the horrors alight in her mind.

She refused his eyes, and refused his words; adamant on ignoring him long enough for him to give up and go away, but as she expected, he stood his ground, and kept his eyes trained on her sad face, willing her to speak to him.

"What?" she finally asked; her voice weaker and more pitiful than she thought it would be. She felt the tears appear again, and ducked her head, trying to brush them away without bringing attention to them in the first place.

He stepped closer to her, and found himself a seat beside her. His hand found her knee, and his breath quickened a fraction as he touched her warm ivory skin. The ends of her skirt teased the back of his hand and she looked at him with confused eyes, before she gasped the second he started rubbing the sides of her knee.

He looked at her with questioning eyes, and tears squeezed out under the pressure; her breath disappearing for those monumental moments, as she tried to figure out how he was able to tell that at one time she had injured her knee.

She could tell by the look in his eyes that he wanted a reason, but the quivering of her whole body distracted her, and she ran her hands over her face in an attempt to calm herself.

"When…" she started shakily, taking in a deep breath and sniffling softly. "When I was in foster care…one of my foster parents…hit me in the back of the knee with a pipe when I was walking up the stairs. I fell down and hit my head, but since my foster mother was at work, I had to walk to the hospital three miles away. When I was diagnosed, he had torn my meniscus and sprained my knee, on top of leaving me concussed. It took a good year for it to stop hurting."

"Does it still hurt you now?" he asked, continuing the soft massage against the valleys surrounding her patella.

"Yeah. When it's cold, or there is a lot of air pressure it'll ache, but not as much as it did when I first hurt it," she confessed; closing her eyes as the soft skin of his hands, pressed and rubbed in the exact place she always massaged when it was first hurt.

"You know a few cases back…when I got blown up by your refrigerator?" he asked, smiling his charm smile and chuckling as she shook her head, and laughed softly.

"Yes," she answered. "How could I forget?"

"Well…when you were in my room with me, and you said you had looked at my x-rays…you were right. I fought during the First Gulf War, and I was sent on a mission to assess and take out a target, that happened to be a man of very high standing in the opponent's war force…but when I got there, something didn't feel right, and even though I had a perfect shot, I didn't take it, and instead hid my gun in the bushes. Two of the insurgents stumbled upon me, and my buddy and they threw us into these jail cells, that were probably the length of a small closet. They drugged us, and starved us to make sure we wouldn't have enough energy to break free…but then they started getting violent, and would drag us out by chains that were wrapped around our wrists and ankles. They would hook us to a wall, and beat the soles of our feet with these huge, ragged, rusted pipes that tore your skin while breaking your bones. I felt like I was in hell, but the only thing that helped me through was that God gifted me with my judgment, and that judgment saved my life. I know it might sound silly to you, but if I was lying there with a gun in my hands, they would have killed me…my friend and I both."

"The breaks were severe," she whispered, her face cast in sadness as she reached to her knee and covered his hand with hers. "They must still hurt terribly."

"They do sometimes," he confessed, smiling weakly and kicking his shoes off to hold up his socked feet. "But, I went through a year of physical therapy to make sure I could walk fine, run fine…things like that, but I also wanted to make sure they were as healed as they were ever going to get. It's usually when it's cold, or when I'm on my feet for so long that they start hurting."

"I'm sorry," she said tenderly, squeezing his hand softly.

He smiled at her and touched his forehead to hers lovingly, his lips pressing a soft kiss to her temple before she moved her head to his shoulder, and nestled into the curves of his body; closing her eyes when he passed his fingers under her knee, and gently massaged between her tendons.

She sighed softly against his neck, and brought her legs to cross his lap; her whole body relaxing into his side. He pressed a tender kiss to her hair and he held her tight in his arms; his voice soft, and only audible to her ears when he whispered: "There are a lot of horrible times we've had to go through Bones, that are the same…Don't ever feel like you're completely alone in this world, because I want you to remember that I'll always be here, to show you my scars, when you're ashamed of your own."


	46. Animal

**An: So, I wrote this during work today; (Before the rain, and before Rebecca, Rebecca, Michael, Chrissy, and I all jumped in the pool; me fully clothed in jeans mind you; because no one else was there, and we were bored); and I absolutely love it!**

**The first draft actually blew in my mind; but when I read over it and made my changes I was like...AHHHHHHHH I luffs it 3**

**And if I luffs it, then you all are definately going to luffs it.**

**1,000,000,000 EPIC POINTS TO YOU IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT INTERNET POP-UP COMMERCIAL THIS IS FROM.  
**

_

* * *

Here we go again.  
Here we go again.  
Here we go again.  
Oh, Oh,  
I want some more.  
Oh, Oh.  
What are you waiting for?  
Take a bite of my heart tonight._

_Oh, Oh,  
I want some more.  
Oh, Oh,  
What are you waiting for?  
What are you waiting for?  
What are you waiting-_

_Here we go again  
Oh, Oh.  
Here we go again.  
Oh, Oh.  
Here we go again.  
Say goodbye to my heart tonight._

_ -Animal (Neon Trees)  
_

Like most exhibits, the room was mostly dark; lightened in gold, and shining like the treasure that was settled in the middle of the scene. The ruby casted beautiful red flecks of light around it's casing, but his eyes remained trained on two much more radiant orbs of light.

Her eyes.

_Here we go again…_

They were close; an inch at most from touching, and the soft tone of her voice was driving him crazy. This woman…the woman he wanted to be his, was a never ending cycle of insanity; jumping from spouting off scientific facts to a soft, sultry voice that made his body vibrate.

"_You and I - this was our case and I guess...what goes on between us that should just be ours. Isn't that what you said?"_

He could see the miniscule colorings of green and gray in her cerulean eyes, and he felt his chest tighten as he traced every thin line of her lips with his eyes.

"_Yeah…"_

He moved closer; bringing that inch down to mere centimeters. His hands itched, and his mouth went dry; unhelpful thoughts running rampant through his tortured mind.

_Close…so close…too close._

_I want some more…_

He watched her lips part, and her eyes dilate; her pupils growing until her eyes were black; circled only with a thin ring of silverish blue. She stared deep into his eyes, and almost self consciously; dropped her gaze to his lips; heightening the screams within him tenfold.

_What are you waiting for?_

He knew he couldn't make the first move, just like he didn't make the first move when they kissed six years earlier and then again that Christmas four years later. She was the one with the power to make this, or break it into a million pieces; scattered across an undamaged floor with only skin ripping edges to remind them of what once was.

_What are you waiting for?_

Processing…processing…potential error. Continue? Yes. Her mind was running like a computer, processing through ever single look, every single touch, and every single breath they took to find her answer. Five years of a partnership, and six years of underlying fascination she was analyzing; looking, determining, and then looking again through every day they had been together; while down the hall, the clack of heels and the sound of laughter bounced off the walls.

_What are you waiting-_

Shut down. His mind stopped, and his eyes closed against the world. He tried to reach out, but he was paralyzed, and before he could realize it, her tongue was passing along the rim of his lower lip; opening his mouth to her own with no hesitation from his part.

He willed himself to move, and rested his hands against her ribs; his fingers curling to her back so he could apply just enough pressure to pull her closer, but not send her reeling forcefully into his body.

Her hands remained at his chest, and he was positively certain she could feel his heart beat under her soft fingertips. Their tongues touched between their mouths, and soft, relieved, happy breaths escaped; barely audible from their beings.

The clacking was growing louder, and the voices of Angela, Cam, and Daisy were made indisputable. They pulled away and rested their foreheads together silently, before they dropped their hands from each other's bodies, and their friends rounded the corner.

"Come on you two. The Ambassador is about to speak," Angela announced, a bright smile on her face as she took in the closeness of the partners, but forced her legs to move away from the scene with the rest of the crowd.

They looked at each other and smiled softly; her fingers bridging the gap between them to adjust his bow tie, while his did the same to brush a soft strand of her hair away from her shoulder.

The promises they made were silent, but they were there; and as they made their way towards the staircase, he separated their stride by walking around the case that held the ruby. In his own mind he used that as a parameter, and focused on the right frame of mind that allowed him to pretend that nothing had happened, or will happen once the gala was over.

But they both knew better…

_Say goodbye to my heart tonight._


	47. She's Got A Boyfriend Now

**An: :( I'm was in tears within the first 500 words of this story, and those tears led to my insane ending, and my insane ending led to more tears. So I worn you, if I'm crying, you'll most likely be crying. And if you aren't...I either wrote this terribly, or it's just not engraved in your mind as heavily as it is with mine. :P**

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Now she's got a boyfriend  
And I've got a rock band  
Cause nothing really ever goes the way it's planned  
Yeah she's on the west coast and I'm on some back road  
Driving to the city and then who knows  
Cause that's all she wrote  
I wish that I could turn this car around  
But she's got a boyfriend now_

_Take me back to you somehow  
And everything that I know now it's so hard  
I tore us apart  
Take me back to feeling like the world  
Would just keep dealing me the right cards  
Now you're just so far_

_ -She's Got A Boyfriend Now (Boys Like Girls)_

Sighing; he relaxed back against the seat of his car and stared forward into the welcoming trees of the forest he was driving through.

Parked on a slanted edge, he listened as a single car sped past him, and then curved into the mountain side; disappearing from sight. He rolled down the windows and took in a deep breath; wincing at the pain and coughing heavily into his hand; clearing his throat when the spat was over, and the oxygen flowed naturally.

He looked over at the white box sticking out from under the radio, and knew he shouldn't do what his body was craving him to do, but against his will he reached forward, and pulled out the cigarette his mind was screaming for.

_First gambling…now smoking. Alcohol is just down the road Boothy._

The filter touching his lips was welcomed, but the smell and taste of the poisons that ran through his senses the second he lit his liter and breathed in, was not. Pulling the white roll away from his mouth; he allowed a large cloud of smoke to leave his lips, and he sighed as his muscles relaxed, and he felt that calm he strived for, settle over him.

Bringing the cigarette back to his mouth; he directed his eyes back to the gauges hidden behind the wheel, and looked at the picture that was tucked in the side.

Smiling back at him was the face of his partner. His heart crushingly beautiful partner.

_Ex-partner._

The torn up West Virginian roads he had been travelling, made him miss home, but he knew better than to think that the Washington D.C. he lived in now was home. Once she left it was never home, and he knew it would never be home until she returned.

But deep in his heart he knew she would ever return, because she found someone that was in every way better than him.

He was taller, and tanner, and much more handsome than he was; with shining emerald eyes that always seemed to put a smile on her face. He charmed like a pro, and had not a single horrible thing that ever happened to him to inhibit or change who he was. In essence, he was born the better man; and that won her over in the end.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday, and he relived the heartbreak every day since. He remembered the anger in her eyes, shining behind her tears, and he remembered the three words he uttered that he never should have said, along with the breath stealing silence and the three words she answered with that shattered his world before him.

"_Me or him?"_

"_I choose him."_

His drag was longer; fiercer, and the curse that dropped from his lips was filled with venom as the cigarette burned close enough to burn his fingers. He threw the butt away, and despite his conscious, lit another one; holding it with his teeth as he reached over and pulled out the collection of letters he kept tucked with his registration.

Her script somehow embodied her voice, and still five years later he heard her perfectly clear. She had been nice enough to call, and write him letters when she moved to California with him, but he had been such a dick that he ignored her, and eventually pushed her away all together.

_Four years and one hundred twenty one days since I last heard from her._

Picking out one of the letters, he rested back once again, and held it up for him to see.

'_Dear Booth,_

_ I know you're avoiding me, but despite my best efforts I can't help but hope that you'll read this. I don't know if you'll even get this, but I just want to let you know that I miss you terribly, and that I still care for you. I wish I could hear from you again, but somehow, in my gut I know I probably won't. I'm sorry for tearing us apart Booth. I really am, and I just…wish the best for you._

_-Bones'_

_She still called herself Bones…_

The tears sliced down his cheeks, and the pain in his chest seemed so much worse than he had ever felt before. He was in a state of delirium; and no matter how heavily he smoked at the cancer held in his fingers, he couldn't get rid of the pain.

He looked up, and his answer shined with an almost scary glory; the hand of God reaching forward, calling him home.

He started his car, and gripped his hands on the steering wheel; his whole body shaking, and his eyes completely blurred with tears. He pressed his foot into the gas, and listened to the revving of the engine; before he reached down, and slid his car into drive.

He felt his stomach bottom out as he pressed the pedal down to the floor, but in the last seconds he had, he imagined her face, her smile, her touch, her kiss; but by closing his eyes, he missed the small piece of paper that had fallen onto the floor, with a collection of three words that would have stopped him from driving his Sequoia off a towering West Virginia cliff.

'_I regret it…'_


	48. The Silence

**An: So I absolutely love this song, and couldn't help but bust out the little chapter for it now. It's so intense, but I'm sorry, it's super angsty. There's no death in this one, but there are tears.**

**S6 Spoilers Below!  
**

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I don't know if I'll ever make this right,  
Cause I am just so broken by the bitterness of loneliness,  
And I'm so scared._

_Even though the world she loves,  
It won't ever be the way it was,  
And his heart of stone left hers breaking._

_Every night she cries,  
And dies a little more each time,  
Say you love me (you love me),  
Nothing left inside,  
Say you love me,  
And the silence will set her free. _

_-The Silence (Mayday Parade)_

The happiness in his eyes; the smile on his lips; the way his arm was wrapped so securely around her lithe body as they announced they were moving in together brought something to the surface she never thought she could experience.

She couldn't explain exactly how she felt towards the beautiful blond woman that was draped over him at every given moment, but she was sure that if she explained it to Angela, she would have easily described it as…dare she say…jealousy.

She knew she could make her uncomfortable; speak to her with a short, rude tone like she did to many people she didn't like, but she also knew that if she did that, it would upset Booth, and that was one thing she never wanted to do.

She wanted nothing but the best for him, and no matter how much she hated to admit it…this Hannah woman, might be what's best. When she walks into the room, he smiles like he did when she used to walk into his office. When they touch or kiss; you could practically see the sparks erupting between them…the same kind of sparks that set off when they kissed.

He loved her; except this time, the woman he fell in love with, was quick to return his sentiment. He could have a real relationship with his woman, and he could have everything that he ever wanted.

He would get the white picket fence, the multiple children, the tree house, the dog, the homemade pie…it would all be his with this woman.

But not with her.

She couldn't give him half of that.

She couldn't even return the feelings he felt for her…whatever those feelings were.

She always assumed that he loved her, but deep down, she truly didn't know. He never said the words, and even though he showed her every single day that he cared about her, she couldn't tell if he just _cared_ about or…or if he _loved _her.

'_Three simple words could have kept me from all of this confusion,'_ she thought to herself; slamming down her pen and turning her eyes to the clock on her computer. The small, white numbers quickly blurred out of her vision, and without a second thought, she backhanded the tears that seemed to make their presence every time she thought about him.

She felt so many pent up emotions, and didn't have anyone to turn to. If she told Angela; she would say what she always said, and just because she pointed out that she loved him; didn't necessarily help her. And if she didn't tell Angela…than the only other person she really had was Booth, but no way in hell would she ever tell him what she was feeling.

'_Feelings are ephemeral, Brennan. Why can't you get that simple fact to stick? They don't last. They don't last!'_

She felt her hands start to shake, and in a last attempt to try and keep her sanity; she clenched her fists and took multiple deep breaths. She closed her eyes and shivered; his warm, brown eyes permanently burned on the back of her eyelids.

In a whirlwind of passing memories; she pictured all the intense stares that ripped shivers violently up her spine. She pictured all of the times that he spoke to her in the softest of whispers; voicing the important secrets of life she had since been blind to. She pictured all the times he held her when she was scared or crying and she pictured the passionate slide of his tongue against her own that night so many years ago.

She pictured the feeling of his hands holding her waist, and she pictured the tears in his eyes as he put everything on the line; asking for her to give him a chance…to give them a chance.

'_I want to give us a shot…'_

She tried to wipe away the tears, but they refused to disappear; the burning crystals blackened from the thin lines of eye liner she applied around the corner of her eyes every day. She let her gaze rise, and she locked eyes with her reflection in the computer screen; the dark black lines swerving and spiraling down her cheeks; until they dropped from her jaw, onto her shaking hands.

She needed him, and when she realized that it was only 7:30, she thought that any other day they would have had dinner…but not recently, and nowhere in the near future. She felt the constriction in her chest again, and tried to will the all too familiar pain away, but it just doubled until she released a strangled sob, and brought her knuckles to press her lips into silence.

She closed her eyes tightly, and when they flashed open everything was a blur; her hand acting without her consent as it shot out to the phone sitting in front of her. She brought the speaker to her ear, and reached forward to dial his number; tightening her hold around the plastic device as she silently prayed he picked up.

The rings seemed to last hours, but finally she was sent to voice mail, and she listened to his friendly voice; voicing the traditional message to leave a number and message. The beep blasted her from her reverie, and she quickly slammed the phone down on the receiver.

She let her hand slide back to her lap, and her arms continued to shake as she stared at the phone before her; her tears silent, and her mind clearing torturously, so she could admit to herself the things she never, ever, wanted to be true.

All she did, was cause him pain.

And all Hannah did, was love him.

They were in love, and were spending their nights in solitude…

While she sat in her office…heartbroken; speaking out in a quiet, pitiful voice. "I love him…"

But as she whispered the words to the empty lab; she was only greeted with silence, which she decided was all she was ever going to offer on the subject. If he was happy, then she would remain silent; the words never to be uttered again from her lips.

"_Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.__"_

_-Gloria Naylor_


	49. 13 Reasons

**An: Okay. So I totally screwed myself over by finding this new artist...because now I have like another 14 songs I have to write chapters too. Meaning, I'm going to try and spam your inboxes with new chapters, because I need to get this new list to dwindle down, so I can get back onto the normal list. :)**

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You hold it over me  
And the day is wasted now  
I'll be there soon enough  
And it's time you faced it now  
You're so focused on the words  
That you missed the context  
And it's difficult enough  
To admit was comes next_

_Let me go before you break my heart again  
Let me go.  
Let me go before you break my heart again_

_-13 Reasons [Rough Mix] (Electric Valentine)_

"Shouldn't...shouldn't you be having dinner with Hannah?" Brennan asked; her gaze flitting up to his own almost painfully, before she dropped her eyes back to the case file she was filling in.

"No."

"Why not?"

"We aren't dating anymore," he explained simply; his teeth constantly worrying away the integrity of his pen cap.

Her eyes flashed up, and she sat a bit straighter; a small smile appearing on her lips before it disappeared completely, and she tilted her head curiously. "W-why?"

"Why do you care?" Booth steeled; his voice grinding from his teeth; his eyes rising to her own. He released a soft sigh as he saw the hurt in her gaze, and shook his head; dropping his work beside him before he rose and moved to her desk. "Look Bones, I'm sorry."

"No, Booth," she whispered; her voice cool and collected as she tried to keep the tears from reappearing. "I understand that we have to separate ourselves from each other to form bonds with other people. Said separation has already commenced, and it would detrimental to any sort of process of growing for us to try and reverse that. You don't have to tell me. I doubt that when you find that woman you want to spend the rest of your life with; she won't be too happy if you spent all of your time with me, or told me things you don't want to tell her."

He stared at her; confusion coloring his irises as he shook his head and leaned his fists onto her desk. "Bones, that's a load of crap. You're my best friend...why would I stop that?"

"Well, in the past month I've hardly seen you except for work," she explained; the pain flashing in her eyes as she looked at him, but quickly turned her gaze to the paper under her hands. "In that time I've had to accept that...we won't be able to stay like this forever."

"What do you mean by 'this'?" he whispered; reaching out and gently hooking his finger under her chin; turning her eyes up to his own.

"I...I mean, being as close as we are," she explained; her voice breathy and unsure as he seemed to obliterate any protection she had around her sanity with just his stare. "We aren't going to be able to be like that forever. At sometime, you'll find someone that'll take precedence over me."

"And then where will you be?" he whispered; his thumb trailing across her jaw and sending a heated shiver up her spine.

"Alone," she insisted; standing up quickly and gathering the file she was working on. "Just like I prefer."

"I've told you before Bones, you're a horrible liar, and I'm not letting you run from this one," he said; grabbing her wrist and stilling her movements. "If you want to know why Hannah and I broke up, then I'll tell you, but you aren't allowed to run away from the answer to the question you asked."

Brennan looked to his hand, and desperately wished she had the fire to tear her hand away from his grasp, but the feeling of his strong hand holding her wrist with such a tender vice broke her, and she simply looked at him; urging him forward.

"Now, you're sure you want to know the truth?"

"Of course not. I can't tell how I'll feel about a matter until I know all of the facts."

Growling; he released her wrist and moved closer to her; cornering her behind her desk so she couldn't make a b-line for the lab. "Always so empirical aren't you? Straight scientist through and through."

"Well, Booth, science has been my life for twenty years; I would only hope that that extended period of time would morph me into a pure scientist."

"But it isn't possible..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. What does this have to do with your failed relationship with Hannah?"

"This has everything to do with my relationship with Hannah," he growled; stepping closer to her with a gleaming anger in his eyes. "Because it's all about you. _You_ are what is keeping me from being normal, and I don't understand how I fell so madly in love with you! I keep hoping and praying; adamant that a woman with the face of an angel couldn't be as robotic as you play off, but you never change. You aren't willing to change!"

"Why would I want to change who I am Booth?" Brennan asked; looking at him with pitiful, terror filled blue eyes. "Why would I want to change who I am for someone, just so they can be happy?"

"Because you aren't happy either Temperance," he exclaimed; reaching between them to cup her face. "And you know you aren't. I've been the one to see you when you're actually human, Bones. I was the one who held you when you cried, and I was the one you came to when you needed to talk. You always feel _around_ me...but why can't you feel _for_ me?"

"I do feel for you," she cried; wrenching her head from his grasp when the tears fell from her already sore and puffy eyes. "That's my problem. I feel too much for you. It isn't healthy, because I know I can never have you."

"Who said Bones?" he asked; reaching forward and turning her face towards his. "Who said you could never have me? I put my heart out on the line for you before, and you didn't want to take that step. Did you just randomly decide you were wrong when you realized that I didn't decide to chase you this time?"

"No! It's just-" she started; shaking her head and backhanding the tears that were flowing from her eyes. "No...It's just that, I think I can hold onto you longer if we weren't in a relationship."

"Really? Opposed to actually being in a relationship with me, and being with me like we were a year ago? Bones we used to spend all our time together; how would being together change that?"

"Because I'll mess it up!" she screamed; pushing his hand from her face forcefully. "I know I'll mess it up. Being in an actual committed relationship will change everything. I don't know how to properly conduct myself in a relationship that is more than just sex."

"Bones, don't you understand WHY people always assume we're a couple? It's because we have the emotional stuff down perfectly. We talk to each other, and support each other. We're always there for each other without a second thought. We told each other the dark secrets of our pasts, and I let you become a part of my son's life. We are a family the two of us alone. The only thing we don't do is kiss and fall asleep beside each other at night. All that a stable, loving relationship is, is being with your best friend day in and day out."

"But we already do that-"

"Exactly. Then why is this so difficult for you?"

"Because I don't know what the hell to do or expect. I can't just blindly jump into things without background knowledge to stabilize me."

"Bones, that's why they say love is blind. Love is built on trust because that's the only way you're able to continuously love someone. You have to trust each other enough to lead each other into the unknown," he explained; reaching forward and grabbing her hand. "Just...trust me. Please."

"I do trust you Booth, I just don't trust myself," she explained; looking down at their joined hands. "And I think you should just let me go before we break each other's hearts again."

She raised her hand away from him, and moved to walk around him, but in a swift fluid motion; he caught her around the waist and pressed her back against the wall; his hands holding onto her waist as he crowded against her and looked down at her with heated, but loving eyes.

"I'm never going to let you go Temperance," he promised; letting one hand rise to frame the side of her face. "Never. I promise you. But all I ask of you in return is to just feel. Feel what you say you feel for me, and stop thinking long enough to gather the evidence you crave for."

Her eyes locked on his own; her gaze ducking to his lips every couple of seconds, as she felt her body start to heat from the inside out, and noticed that he was slowly creeping closer to her.

She grasped his elbows tighter and took in a shaky breath; her eyes never relenting to move down to the lips she so desperately wanted to kiss, and in a last ditch attempt to silence the thoughts in her mind; she slid her hands around his neck and bridged the last inch separating them.

_Just let me go  
I'll never know better_


	50. One Year Later

**An: WOW! Supa meaning of drabble, because I just wrote it up in the last three minutes. Ha! SPAM!**

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So keep waiting  
I meant it when I said, we leave with no regrets  
Keep waiting  
I meant it when I said, we leave with no regrets_

_-One Year Later (Electric Ghosts Part 2) [Electric Valentine feat. Watchout! Theres Ghosts]_

She left for self improvement, while he left to serve his country.

She left to study ancient remains; holding the key to mysteries of evolution, while he left to train men; young and old; in the ways of apprehending insurgents.

She lived in the hot, sticky jungle, while he lived in the barren, sweltering desert.

Every night she looked up into the stars, and listened to the loud clacks and calls of night creatures, while every night he looked up and listened to the gun fire and explosions reverberating from miles away.

But every night they thought of each other.

When seven months rolled around, it had felt like a year, and they were on their ways home.

She left the sticky jungle, and he left the sweltering desert; she leaving her bones, he leaving his soldiers.

But on that night; they were heading to the same place.

When her plane landed; she had no problem leaving the airport, while he was stuck searching for his baggage for a half hour.

When she returned home; she showered quickly, while he didn't stop at home at all.

But despite their differences they were in the same city, in the same place, or the same reason…because as the coffee brewed, and she sat waiting; he came running, and they reunited…'one year' later without a single regret.


	51. Electric Ghosts

**An: SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM XD**

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Pardon me, what's the meaning of your dreams  
A secret lust in these hidden things  
Face to face, can you show me how you play  
And if it's only tonight, it's alright with me_

_ -Electric Ghosts (Electric Valentine feat. Watchout! Theres Ghosts)_

Settled under the soft sheets of her bed; she glanced around her dark room and sighed for the forty second time that night. So many times had she tried to just close her eyes and lull herself to sleep, but nothing came to her avail. She tried reading, counting backwards from one hundred, and soft, soothing jazz music, but there she laid; the wee hours of morning slowly creeping closer to her.

She had no idea what was keeping her awake, but one definite possibility was either the large amounts of coffee she had consumed that morning, or the fact that her partner was asleep in the guest room just down the hall. His soft snores echoed into her bedroom, and she felt a soft; almost apprehensive shudder pass through her every time he breathed.

Hours before; they were crowded around her coffee table; Thai take out boxes scattered everywhere as they nursed beer after beer. They both had a pleasant buzz, but when he stood and announced he should be getting home; she was quick to counter that statement, and demand that he stay in her guest room.

Closing her eyes one again; she rolled onto her side and took in a deep breath; trying to calm herself enough to sleep, but her eyes shot open as she heard a soft, husky whimper leek into the sanctuary of her room.

"_Bones…"_

She sat up, and tried to block out any foreign sound; her ears straining as she listened for that throaty moan that was so quiet, and tender, but passionate and aroused.

"_Bones…" _

Shivering against the brush of cold night air; she threw her sheets back, and let her bare feet touch the freezing wooden floors. Silently; she moved through her house, and peered in through the crack of his door; gasping as he writhed under the white sheets and whimpered out her name again.

"_Bones…"_

Despite her instinct to go back to her room and leave him to his dream; she moved further into the room, and stood at his side; her touch gentle as she pressed the tips of her fingers into Booth's shoulder.

"Booth?"

"_Bones…"_

"Booth. Come on, wake up," she pushed; shaking his shoulder more forcefully, until he completely stole her breath away. He moved to the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist; burying his face in her taunt stomach as he whimpered her name again.

"_Bones…"_

She reached behind him and had to lean on her hand to keep her from falling; her free hand reaching to his hip, and lowering to brush against his erection; tented through his boxers. He released a soft groan and tightened his arm around her; pulling her on top of him so he could bury his face in the crook of her neck.

He softly brushed his lips against her neck; his dream running full force, until his eyes shot open at the soft squeak that left his lips.

"_Bones…"_ he whispered; moving into action, and turning towards his side so he could deposit her beside him, but the second she was settled on her back, and he started moving away; she curved her hands around his face and pulled his lips to her own; kissing him deeply.

"Don't stop," she pleaded; wrapping her legs around his hips and bringing his erection into the heated valley of her core.

"_Bones…"_


	52. Wasted

**An: So, this is probably my payment for making you guys read that suicidal chapter a couple chappies back, but hey...this is still kind of sad, but bitter sweet in the end. :)**

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* * *

It's 2:45  
The baby takes his first breath  
The mother never knew he only had a few left  
And the father gets a call in the middle of the night  
His breath gets short and his chest gets tight_

_But he's sixteen and he's driving too fast  
Takes a turn to the left  
It would be his last  
Nobody knows what happens if he turns to the right  
Nobody in the car would have died that night_

_But he's thirty-two and invincible  
The cancer he had, it was visceral  
He never saw it coming  
Thought he had his whole life  
Sick in the morning and he died in the night_

_ -Wasted (Cartel)_

"Dr. Brennan," Cam said; looking up from her computer as the concerned anthropologist nervously walked into the autopsy room; her eyes darkened and almost sad. "Are you okay?"

"That…was what I was coming in here to actually ask you," she whispered; taking her stand next to the pathologist's side. "You've had three different autopsies in three days. Are you doing alright?"

"It's the job Dr. Brennan," Cam stated; despite the lump that had been present in her throat since the small baby was brought to her. "I'm fine."

"You know, Booth…he always…he always makes me watch some pathetic comedy movie with him every time I feel sad. I never find the actual film humorous…but just, hearing his laugh makes me smile," she whispered; trying to help her friend take her mind off the three, heart crushing deaths that the lab had been subjected to see.

"He's a good influence on you," she mused; leaning on her fist as she looked up at the smiling anthropologist with a smile of her own on her lips. "He makes you happy."

"Does Paul do that for you?" Brennan asked; smiling at the soft grin that broke on Cam's lips at the mention of her boyfriend.

"Yes, he really does," Cam admitted; clasping her hands together in front of her. "He's sort of like my own, personalized Booth, in a sense. Always the man to take the burdens off your shoulders, and would resort to humiliating himself just to make you laugh."

Chuckling softly, Brennan nodded and glanced to the side; remembering such a time, when Booth had insisted he fix every pipe breaking in his house, and ended up flooding his bathroom; conveniently walking out of his room dripping from head to toe with an irritated look on his face the same day she had had to examine the remains of a three year old.

"Hey Bones!" Booth called; ducking into Cam's office and smiling when he found who he was looking for. Moving closer to her; he rested his hand on her lower back and leaned forward enough to connect their lips in a tender kiss, before he deposited his kiss to her forehead, and looked at her with the usual concern he had for her. "Is something wrong?"

"Dr. Brennan was consoling me," Cam said; smiling at Brennan and reaching out to softly hold her hand. "And I thank you for that. It means a lot."

"You're welcome," she whispered; a soft, uncharacteristic blush creeping to her face, before they turned to the security guard that stepped into Cam's office.

"Dr. Saroyan, you're boyfriend is waiting in the lounge for you."

"Thanks," Cam said; standing and grabbing her purse. "I hope you don't mind; I think I'm just going…to go home a little early. Spend some time with Paul, before Michelle comes home."

"You're the boss," Brennan shrugged; smiling and leaning forward to hug Cam, before she watched her leave, and turned to Booth; her weak smile doing nothing to fool him.

"Bones, what's wrong?" he asked again; reaching up and touching his fingertips to the side of her face.

She leant into his touch, and shook her head; rubbing her hands over her eyes before she looked down to the three case files that were stacked neatly on Cam's desk. "Cam has had three cases in the past three days. All of them just…terrible."

He wrapped a protective arm around her back, and brought her closer to his chest; his lips placing soft kisses against her temple. "Do you want to tell me about them?"

"Well…the first was just a baby," she whispered; the tears forming in her eyes as she imagined the discolored corpse of the newborn. "Born only three hours prior to his death. He had fluid in his lungs that the doctors couldn't get flushed out and he suffocated…died in his mother's arms."

Booth reached up and touched the tears that were falling from her eyes; kissing the trails lovingly, before he brushed his fingers along her back encouragingly; holding her in the vice of his arms tenderly. "Keep going baby," he urged; his own tears building behind his eyes as he tried to forget all of the dead children he had seen before.

"Well, the second was a teenager," she said; shaking her head and brushing away another tear that was obstructing her vision. "Sixteen. He was driving too fast and turned the wrong way. Head on collision…flew through the windshield."

"And the third?" Booth asked; glancing behind him to the now empty autopsy table.

"Thirty two," she answered; sighing as she remembered the clouded x-rays of the corpse. "Died suddenly; out of nowhere. He was one of those men that were always the first ones to initiate the dare devil activities, but refused to ever go to the hospital. He was riddled with visceral cancer…which is a cancer of the soft tissue in the abdomen."

"So many lives are just wasted," Booth mumbled sadly; taking a hold of her hand and leading her away from the office that still had the scent of death hanging in the air. "It's a horrible, horrid truth, but its truth none the less."

"And so many lives are ruined and they remain alive," Brennan stated; sniffling softly. "We are prime examples of that."

"Well…we were," he corrected; leading her to the couch in her office, and pulling her into his lap. "But then I found you."

"Well YOU didn't really find me…Cam sent you to me," she corrected; a sad laugh leaving her lips as she curled against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. "Seeing things like this…every day…they scare me Booth. Those three human beings did nothing to deserve what they got…how are we…I just…I don't know."

Resting his hand on her stomach; he smiled as felt a small foot kick against her taut, rounded belly. "You…are wondering exactly how we are going to be able to protect our baby girl, from such horrible things, when three innocent people were taken by nature's hands alone."

"Exactly," Brennan whispered; settling her own hand on her very pregnant belly. "Nine babies die a day to sudden infant death syndrome in the U.S. Booth. What if one day, our baby is one of those babies?"

"Bones, most of those children are born to unfit mothers. As long as we care for our daughter; look after her; keep her safe…she'll be fine," he answered; lifting her shirt up enough so he could press a kiss to her belly softly. "I promise you that, Bones. Our life with never be wasted."

"I'm just…nervous," she muttered; picking at a loose thread at the edge of her lab coat. "Terrified…to be more precise."

"Than…you are exactly where you are supposed to be," Booth promised; smiling and placing a soft kiss to her neck. "Having a child is all about being terrified, and truthfully I would be concerned if you weren't."

"How is it you always know what to say?" she asked; smiling at him and staring at him with eyes full of adoration and love.

"Because, if I wasn't here to do it than who would be? Face it, you would be a pit of despair if I wasn't here," he joked; reaching up and brushing his fingers through the soft tendrils of her hair. "Everything is going to be fine Temperance, alright?"

She nodded and moved her hand to his cheek; leaning into his body so she could press her lips to his tenderly; giving him multiple soft, barely there kisses, before she rested her head on his shoulder again and whispered in a soft voice, "I love you."

"I love you, Bones," he returned; brushings his fingers up her leg tenderly. "And everything our future life has to offer."


	53. If You Can't Live Without Me

**AN: IS THIS NOT THE PERFECT SONG FOR BOOTH AND BRENNAN? XD**

_

* * *

But what's holding me back is the thought of time we never had  
My world's hanging by three words that I can't bear to say_

_When you hear this chorus  
Do you miss the way the world was spinning for us?  
Do you hurt the way that I do?  
After all this time you leave me broken  
This song is every word I left unspoken  
When you hear this, girl, I'm hoping that you think of us  
That you think of us_

_-If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet? (Mayday Parade)_

Rolling onto his side, he sighed heavily and watched the silver majesty of the moon creep higher into the pitch black sky; the smell of sex and sweat hanging heavily in his room. Beside him rested the beautiful woman he had been dating for almost two months; her blond hair fanned out against one of his pillows.

She was asleep, but he was very much awake, and very much regretful of what he had just done.

As he pressed his lips to her neck; his body hovering over hers; he thought about his dream. The dream he had when he was comatose; listening to the words of his partner; expressing the sweetest of love stories, despite the shadow of death that had covered their lives.

As he kissed her; he remembered all of the times his lips had met with the woman he couldn't stop thinking about. He remembered that first case; kissing her outside of that bar; the rain soaking through to their heated bodies, while his lungs fought for the breath that had been stolen from him.

And as he fucked her; because he sure as hell didn't make love to her; he remembered all of the dreams he had where she was the temptress that wouldn't offer him the mercy of having a peaceful sleep. When he closed his eyes; he pictured auburn hair, and cerulean eyes; and for that, he was ready to damn himself to hell.

_If I'm not heading there already…_

He felt dirty; like he had just cheated on someone, but as he made his way into his bathroom, and turned on the heated spray of his shower; he decided that in fact, he had cheated on two people.

On Hannah for loving another woman, and on Brennan for still loving her; despite the relationship he had with Hannah.

The scolding water that was slicing down his skin at the temperature at heated metal brought his teeth to grind together, but he accepted his metal punishment; conditioning himself for the fires of hell. He felt her touches burn from his skin, and her scent spiraled down the drain.

He felt himself start shaking against the pain, and once his skin was a raw pink; he relented the turned the heat down. Resting his head against the edge of the shower; he breathed deeply and shook his head; praying, thinking, and then praying again.

The simplicity of three words, never felt so burdening. Like anvils that were dropped from great heights onto his shoulders, and he was frozen; unable to fight back, or search for any sort of relief.

He cursed as he heard his bed squeak, and felt the draft of the open door. He saw her form materialize behind the distorted crystalline glass, and for the millionth time that night, he wished it wasn't who he knew it was.

He felt her hands touch his back, and felt her arms wrap around him; her naked body pressing flush to his back while in his mind; he fought between either bashing his head off the porcelain in front of him; or returning the water temperature to burning hot.

"What's wrong baby?" she asked tenderly; her lips pressing into his shoulders, which automatically tensed against invisible pain.

_A lot of things…_

"Nothing," he growled; shaking his head as he stood straight, and turned out of her grasp; facing her and smiling weakly. "I'm just…thinking about things."

"What things?" she returned; her lips coming to settle on his chest.

"I'm…I'm wondering…how I can stop something…that never actually started."


	54. NJ Legion Iced Tea

**An: I know it's short and I'm sorry. I'm also sorry that I haven't updated in the past few days, but I couldn't stop school from starting, and I couldn't keep sophomore year from actually being busy. Who cares though cause I busted this one out, and I'll be making sure to try and write as much as I can. I have the weekends, and if I ever actually stop being tired at 9:30...which probably won't happen. Oh well! Maybe glass will get boring and I'll get ideas, maybe I'll come home and go into a frenzy. I can't tell ya, but I promise that I won't leave you hanging...for terribly long. :P**

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* * *

You do this every time.  
So here's to another banner year,  
We've crossed that thin line,  
Don't try to hold us here.  
If for just this once you'd think of us,  
I hope you're happy with yourself._

_ -NJ Legion Iced Tea (A Day To Remember)_

My hands around her waist, her scent invading my senses, her lips under mine…never had I ever felt such perfection. Our kiss was wrong; depending on how exactly you looked at it; but for me if felt so right. Temperance Brennan was a whole other matter. She seemed to melt in my arms, but we both knew that meant nothing, and I was left to only pray and hope for the best.

The line that I had set so many years ago seemed to diminish over time; the winds and rains of our growing relationship weathering that 'line' to a simple scratch between the picture of the perfect life that we could have…the perfect life that I can show her.

But alas that scratch was enough, and she pushed away; her hands on my chest as tears streamed down her face. I could hear the catch in her throat, and could feel my own tears building from deep in my heart, but all of the words I meant to say never came out.

I could have shown her that this line that we have has been made transparent, and that the moment I ever concocted it was a mistake. I could have begged her, pleaded her, got down on my knees and asked that she think of us…being us, instead of us, being partners. I could have told her that we were so much more than partners, and had been since the day we first met, but as her crystalline tears trekked down her porcelain skin, and I heard the sounds of my breaking heart echo in my ears, I knew that ship had sailed, and I was left to wait for her once again.

For her trust, for her love, for her heart.

_I hope you're happy with yourself…_


	55. A Story To Tell Your Friends

**An: If I was ever to say that I hate school...it's because that I have no time to write. I hate the fact that school is so busy this year, that I am literally TOO TIRED to one, stay up past 9:30, and two, do anything other than my homework. I apologize for those waiting for all of the other stories, I promise I will be getting to them, this is just a matter of finding time to work. **

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* * *

It was the type of feeling that, can't be explained  
The way she moved her lips and she drove me insane  
And now I'm left here in the wake of something more  
She made it hard to leave as she stood by the door  
In a v-neck t-shirt and  
Nothing more than a single tear, Rolling down her cheek. Whoooaaa_

_Don't go away again, I want to be more than a phone call at 4 A.M.  
Seems like every time you come back home  
It's just to steal my heart and leave  
Don't go away again, I want to be more than a story to tell your friends  
Seems like every time you come back home  
It's just to make me fall again,_

_ -A Story To Tell Your Friends (Every Avenue)_

Every person that worked at the Jeffersonian was trained with sharp eyes and quick thinking minds. They could pick out the smallest of changes, and many could easily identify any emotion no matter what barrier stood in the way. The wrinkled shirts, haphazard hair, and blushing glows of their skin would not go unnoticed, and that simple fact brought them to where they were now.

He was standing near the door; eyeing the line of skin that his unbuttoned dress shirt revealed, before finally catching her eyes and noticing the tear that slid down her cheek. He felt his heart thump painfully in his chest and enveloped her in his arms; stroking her hair and back soothingly; softly hushing the barely there shivers rolling in waves down her spine.

Her hands were tight around the shirt he had worn the night before; the smell of her suffocating him in a delirious frenzy. He rested his hand on the back of her neck and edged her back; looking deep into her eyes with a questioning, and loving gaze that immediately broke her down into words.

"Why do we have to keep doing this?" she whispered, the tears flowing heavier. "Why can't we have a semblance of normal in our relationship?"

"Baby our relationship has never been normal," he joked softly, placing a kiss to her forehead that pulled a shaky, almost relieved breath from deep in her chest.

"I know that…I just, wish that it was."

"I know. I hate this too," Booth assured, letting his fingers run through her hair thoughtfully before he pulled her closer to him and tenderly captured her lips; holding the contact for mere seconds before he released her and let his eyes flutter open with her own. "But we know we have to keep this secret. Cullen would separate us in a snap if he knew."

"Our crime solving rates of phenomenal Booth," Brennan argued, reaching up and brushing away the tears that were gathering under her eyes. "Would he really tear apart the best crime fighting duo in the country?"

"Would you ever expect a blue collar FBI Director to break protocol just for a love drunk agent and his partner?" he returned; the sadness in her eyes reflecting perfectly in his own. "No. He wouldn't. This is going to need some serious planning and sabotage if we're going to keep our partnership intact along with our relationship."

"But its torture just having to sneak around," she whimpered; sighing and raking her fingers angrily through her hair. "I don't like lying to my friends."

"I know you don't," he whispered; moving his hands to softly hold her face. "I don't like it either. Don't ever think that this sneaking around thing is easy for me, but if they know, there will be no hope for keeping this quiet. They have good intentions, and just want to see us happy, but if we actually tell them, then they won't want to keep it quiet. The news will spread like an infectious disease, and then the little lab rats that we don't usually talk to will know, and it'll get to the FBI. We've had a lot of other agents coming to the lab for help on their own cases, and many of them would be more loyal to Cullen, then they would be to the president."

"Well…they don't really work for the president. Usually workers tend to be loyal to a master figure that has been good to them over time. The president is the president, but he isn't their boss…"

"It's just a way to say that if there was something that Cullen should know, they would tell him," Booth explained, a shake of his head accompanying the kiss he placed to her forehead.

"Then how are we supposed to get around this?" she asked sadly, her body gravitating closer to his own. She tucked her head under his chin and wrapped her arms around him; closing her eyes in relief when she became enveloped in the warm, muscular man who had showed her the stars of delirious pleasure the night before.

He felt the tightness in his chest, and released a sigh against her hair. He knew he didn't want to do this, and he was sure she didn't either, but at the point of their predicament…they had no choice.

He pushed her away enough to look into her eyes, and ducked his head to steal a kiss from her soft, bruised lips. He absently tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, and steeled her with a gaze that made her heart rate spike nervously.

"Bones…there's only one thing we really can do."

"What is that?"

"Sweets…"


	56. Should've Tried Harder

**An: Finally here is the next installment of BBShuffle.**

**If you guys don't know already...I've opened my twitter to the update of my stories. If you go to twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus and follow me you will be spammed with updates on my stories and possible small hints here and there. I'm sorry that this is so 'pitchy' but hey, it's convenient for everyone, since I have school and I feel bad when I'm not posting like I used too.  
**

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* * *

Go on, prove it, I'd like to see you try.  
Convince me that you gave me the world.  
I tried and tried but you never opened your eyes.  
You stand tall like you've won some kind of award,  
But really I've never seen someone so short of a dollar.  
If you gave me some more,  
But I told you…_

_If you wanted to be my only one,  
If you wanted to see this happen,  
Maybe you, you should've tried harder.  
If you thought I would leap into your arms every time I would see your face,  
Then maybe you, you should've tried harder._

_ -Should've Tried Harder (Hey Monday)_

In school you're taught that character is everything. You learn what attitudes are wrong, and what attitudes are right. You learn that saying 'thank you' when someone does something for you is being polite, and improves your character, and you learn that saying nothing diminishes what you have gained. But, the real world is a whole lot different than sitting in a high school class room listening to your health teacher explaining passionately about the ways of life.

In the real world; character can be masked just like a murder.

At first he seemed as perfect as perfect could get; polite, caring, humble, and very…_very_ attractive. His shining blue eyes and light blonde hair accentuated his Swedish heritage perfectly. He was toned, but not so muscular that he was unable to wear a shirt, and the smile that seemed to part through his perfect lips at almost any given second was completely and utterly contagious.

But even this angelic looking man was another notch in the examples against perfection.

Sure, the beginning of the relationship was great. They did fun things together, talked a lot, and the sex was amazing, but as the time progressed, and they started falling into a more domestic sense of life, she started realizing just how this Special Agent Leif Talman really was.

Seeming to favor that beer be the basis of his body instead of water caused him to practically inhale bottles on top of bottles of Corona until he went through almost two cases a night. He would try and muster up enough strength to move to the door, but usually failed at that and asked her to fetch some more. The first night she agreed; having nothing better to do, but after that it started being a demand and she complied only to get away from him.

His hands glued to every part of her body in the most opportune times; touching her as to promise sexual intercourse that night when she was working on the platform, or discussing a murder scenario with her team. At times she would push him away and that would be the end of it, but most of the time when she shied away from his touch, he pushed himself on her; hissing evilly in her ear to stop trying to get away from him.

She was fed up with her relationship with him, and with a final sigh and glance at the steeled face of her partner, she shoved Talman back and walked from the platform; making her way towards her office with him hot on her heels.

"Tempe," he said; his voice faux with misunderstanding until he was far enough into her office to close the door. "What the hell was that about?"

"I told you before, I prefer that you not be pressed up against me when I'm working," she said; looking dead into his eyes with blood freezing blue eyes that obviously did nothing to affect him.

"And I told you before that you'll have to get over it," Talman sneered; an evil grin breaking across his lips. "You're mine…s_weetheart_. Besides, it's not like you and Booth aren't cuddled up against each other all the damn time. If your partner can be up your ass 24/7 why can't I?"

Narrowing her eyes, she feigned from asking about his word choice and shook her head. "Leif, you've become quite a…dick lately. I seem to have been wrong in my prior judgment of you, and I believe that we shouldn't see each other anymore."

He released a harsh bark, and stalked toward her; arching his eye brow mockingly. "You think you're going to break up with me? Darling _I_ do the heart breaking."

"The heart is a-"

"Safe the scientific shit," Talman cut off, raising his hand swiftly into the air. "You listen to me. We aren't done-"

"Or," Booth said; leaning his shoulder against the threshold. "You can listen to her and leave."

"Stay out of this Booth," he spat; rolling his eyes dramatically before turning back to Brennan, who kept her face set completely in neutral.

"Leif, I asked you to leave. If you don't want too I'll be happy to have security come in here and remove you," she offered; reaching forward to grasp her phone but gasping when his hand clasped onto her wrist and squeezed hard enough to leave bruises.

"Hey!" Booth growled; grabbing Talman's arm and pushing him away from his partner. He situated himself between Brennan and the obviously angered man; smirking as he straightened and looked down at the agent an inch shorter than he was. "You have no right to put your hands on her like that. I advise that you leave now, or else you'll be rolling out on a gurney."

"You try to be such a tough shit Booth," Talman hissed. "But I doubt you'll even touch me."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure. I already know you're pussy whipped. She has you wrapped around her little finger. You wouldn't dare to show what kind of 'monster' you are in front of your precious fu-"

"Enough," he stopped; his hand shooting out to latch onto Talman's throat. His shoulders shook in anger, and he couldn't practically feel Brennan's eyes boring into his back as he backed the asshole against the door and tightened his hold on his neck; smirking as his face colored beet red. "This is over. She doesn't want to see you anymore, so your clearance into the lab will be terminated. The security men know your face and if they have any problems you will be arrested for stalking and we both know that Cullen isn't one for stalkers. And in addition…I'll warn you right now…if I find even the smallest hint of a bruise on her wrist…I'll kick your ass, and take you down a notch right in the middle of the bull pen. Am I clear?"

Talman tried speaking, but only croaked out in an attempt to breathe. He panted and the muscles in his throat worked against the vice of Booth's hand; the awkward head nod accompanying the weak 'yes' that repeatedly spilled from his lips.

Booth shoved the agent back, and grabbed the identity card that was clipped to his jacket; nodding to the guard that had migrated in their direction. "Make sure he never steps foot near the Jeffersonian again. If he tries anything, cuff him or shoot him. Whichever is easier."

Handing the card to the security guard; he closed the door behind him and turned back to Brennan. He smiled weakly at her, and moved to stand in front of her; removing the clip board that she had pressed against her chest while rolling up the sleeves of her lab coat and dress shirt. He frowned as he looked at the red slashes across her wrist, and unconsciously he brought her wrist to his lips and turned his eyes to her own. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said weakly; a smile on her lips despite the prior events. "Thanks…for that."

"Are you sure you're alright."

"Booth I'm fine. It's just another jackass that's popped in and out of my life. Nothing particularly new," she muttered; smiling up at the one man who had never once been rude to her. Sure in the beginning they argued and didn't particularly like each other, but he never used her, and was never anything but polite towards her.

"I'm sorry Bones," he whispered; wrapping his arm around her lower back so he could bring her into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder, and smiled against his skin as he tightened his hold around her and placed a tender kiss to her temple. He rocked them tenderly and brushed his hand down her hair; taking in a deep breath of the smell of her shampoo before he pulled back to look at her. "Will you feel safe going home tonight?"

"I don't know. He's done things like this before. He'll probably try showing up when he thinks you aren't there and I'm all alone."

"Well then it's settled," Booth smiled; bringing his fingers to softly settle on the line of her jaw. "You'll be staying with me tonight."


	57. I Miss You

**An: I seriously can't tell you how much I love this installment. I think this song is the most perfect song for the BB Separation Angst!**

**But I can tell you that I've opened up my twitter to the progress of my chapters. If you go to twitter(dot)come(slash)alexosaurus and click "follow" you will be constantly updated on what story I'm working on, my ideas, how far I'm getting through a chapter, and hint snippets. It's an amazing offer for just a click of a button and a pass of an eye ball. :)  
**

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* * *

I miss you._

_Hello there, the angel from my nightmare.  
The shadow in the background of the morgue.  
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley,  
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want._

_Where you can always find me.  
And we'll have Halloween on Christmas,  
And in the night we'll wish this never ends,  
We'll wish this never ends._

_I miss you, miss you  
I miss you, miss you_

_Where are you and I'm so sorry  
I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight  
I need somebody and always  
This sick, strange darkness  
Comes creeping on so haunting every time_

_And as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders  
Catching things and eating their insides  
Like indecision to call you, and hear your voice of treason  
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight?  
Stop this pain tonight_

_Don't waste your time on me you're already the voice inside my head._

_ -I Miss You (Blink 182)_

She had come home early from Maluku. He had not. She was in the sanctuary of her lab. He was still in the desert heat; falling asleep to the sounds of gunshots with only the hopes and prayers for safety acting as relief. But even in her favorable position, she felt utterly lost and confused; the feeling of sadness turning her heart to lead that permanently pressed against her chest.

In the nights that she rested in her room, she watched the stars twinkling in the moonlight; wondering if at that exact same time, he was watching those same stars disappear to dawn. She would sigh and curl on her side; turning in on herself and in her mind she imagined his voice; his kind, caring tone buried deep into her subconscious. She would picture his face, and imagine his touch as he helped her through a difficult time that she didn't fully understand, and the calming image helped put her mind to rest so she could sleep peacefully.

But sometimes that peace didn't come, and she was forced to watch the horrid scenes of war play behind her eye lids. She would hear the screams of children that haunted her for years, and she would see the cities, and her own skin, stained red. She would hear the shots, and the foreign cries of both hatred and mercy, but none of that seemed to matter when she found him.

Always in his fatigues, and always involved in the war. He was always the hero in her dreams, but in her nightmares the hero didn't live. She would see the splatter of blood fly from his body, and without any care for herself, ran after him. She felt the sand part under her knees as she fell beside him and covered the wound with her hand; whispering his name and coaching him back to her.

The nights she envisioned these nightmares she felt his heart stop; but saw him alive and well in an alternate universe before she jerked into consciousness.

Waiting for his return; she had nothing to do but to work in limbo. She sorted through multiple sets of remains a week, but as she stared at death upon death sitting at her fingers, she couldn't help her sadness deepen for the lost souls she was trying to help. She felt this feeling often when she worked her job, but every time she seemed to be distressed he would appear. A shadow, in the background of her morgue; his presence enough to comfort her until the final bone was placed back in its opaque container.

But as she stared down at the tiny remains of a three year old child; she felt that familiar lump in her throat, and took in a sharp breath as a tear slid down her cheek and no one was there to catch it. Strong arms didn't take hold of her shoulders and turn her away from death, and a warm embrace didn't surround her and make her feel just a little bit better.

She was a masochist. A sick truth, but a truth no less. She worked into the dead of night to help the people that died unjustly despite the pain that settled deep within her own bones. As she thought about it, she was sure Booth would prefer calling her a martyr instead of a masochist, but her own mind had to disagree.

She checked her watch and frowned when she realized it was one in the morning, and she had arrived at six the day before. She made her ways through the sterile pathways of the lab and stopped to glance at Hodgins' newest pet. A _Latrodectus tredecimguttatus _as he had announced days before; also known as a malmignatte or European black widow. The long limbed beauty settled on her web; the multiple orange splotches on her back glowing in the light of the lab.

Checking the time; she shrugged a nonchalant shoulder and picked up the bottle that held lively grasshoppers jumping around their confines. Opening the top and sticking her finger inside; she let one of the small green creatures jump onto her finger, before she placed it in the separate compartment at the end of the spider cage. She closed the door and opened the hatch; watching as the grasshopper jumped through the foliage; immediately alerting the widow's senses and sending her into hiding.

A sense of bliss? A misjudgment in velocity? Ignorance? Who could tell exactly what the small animal was thinking when he jumped once more, and landed into the criss-crossed web of the widow. She frowned as she watched the selection of nature; feeling pity for the struggling bug tangling itself in sticky silk. She watched the spider creep evilly from her hiding place, and two of her long limbs stretched over the grasshopper still fighting for his life. Web was quickly wrapped around the little body, but even still the grasshopper fought, and she physically had to look away when the widow's fangs shined in the light, and finally put the insect out of its misery.

How many times had she seen the effects of struggling on the bones of a human being? How many times had those said human beings wanted to die in their normal minds, but when the opportunity arose they fought as hard as they could against it? How many times has she cried over the fact that there were evil forces that overpowered even the purest of souls?

Moving to her office, she settled in her chair and ran her hands over her face; looking at the cell phone she wished would ring. Her lack of sleep and nourishment fogged her brain, and she couldn't exactly remember what time it would be in Afghanistan, but she knew it would be morning, and that morning brought opportunities…both good and bad.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours before she realized that out of her own haze her phone was ringing. Weakly, and without immediate interest she opened the device and pressed it to her ear; whispering her name with the sadness that she couldn't keep from her voice.

"Bones?" he asked from miles away; the usual concerned tone he spoke in transmitting perfectly over a continent. "Are you alright?"

"Booth," she whispered; smiling and chuckling weakly.

"What are you doing up so late? It's almost three in the morning in the states. Are you okay?"

"It's…a lot to explain Booth."

"No it's not," he assured; their usual back and forth banter present even when one was in a war zone, and the other was well on her way to being comatose. "Tell me what's wrong baby."

The term of endearment made her smile, but brought the tears to full force all the same. She sniffled and wiped away the moisture that had gathered under her eyes, before she forced herself to try and talk clearly, but failed miserably. She took in multiple deep breaths and shook her head; running her fingers roughly through her hair before she tightened her hand around her lab coat, and uttered the three words that had been on her tongue since the moment they parted that day at the airport.

"I miss you."

"Bones…"

"I want you to come home."

"Ssh," he hushed; leaning his head against his own fist. "It's going to be alright. I'll be back before you know it."

"You don't know that."

"Bones, I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"I need you to stay happy," he whispered; wiping away the tear that he refused to leak into his voice. "I need you to sleep regularly, eat every day, drink something, get outside, have fun, and be happy."

"How can I be happy when you aren't here?" she pleaded; leaning forward against her desk and resting her head against her crossed arms. "I don't think I'm going to be able to do all that until you're back in D.C. Booth."

"You're going to have to Bones. If you aren't happy, then I don't know what'll happen. I won't be able to focus, and I'll be worrying more about your life than my own."

"You do that every day anyway," she muttered; smiling into the line and releasing a soft laugh.

"See. That's what I want to hear," he encouraged. "I want you to laugh. I want you to dance, and sing along to Hot Blooded every time you hear it play. I want you to go to The Founding Fathers, and the diner even though I'm not there yet. Imagine I'm with you and that it's is a normal day. I need you to take care of yourself, since I'm not there to do it for you. Okay?"

"I try Booth," Brennan said honestly; unable to hold back the whimpering sob that broke from her throat. "Every time I close my eyes I picture you being killed. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in months, and every time I try to eat I just…I picture…holding you in my arms when you're bleeding out, and calling my name…but I can't do anything to help."

"Bones," Booth spoke, his voice strong over the faltering phone line. "Listen to me. You help me every god damned day, alright? Every single day that you are on this Earth, you save me. I can hear you calling me melodramatic in your head right now, but it's not true. Where would I be if I hadn't met you? I'd still be gambling, and most likely would hate my job. I would have no one to look up to. I would have no one to look at to try and better myself."

"You look up to me?"

"Bones, you know I do," he breathed; settling deeper into the uncomfortable seat he was in. "Everything that you've gone through, and look at where you are. World renowned forensic anthropologist, bestselling author, and the biggest pain in the ass that ever lived."

The laugh they shared was genuine, and Booth smiled as he pictured her beautiful half smile breaking across her perfect lips. He scratched thoughtfully at his chin, but frowned when one of his commanders signaled for him to wrap up the call, and he had to face the fact that he would have to spend another couple of days without talking to her.

"Bones, I'm sorry but…I have to go."

"No!"

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I promise you I'll call you the second I get a chance, but I'm begging you…take care of yourself. I want to come home to my Bones, not a collection of bones alright?"

"Okay," she relented after moments of silence. "Alright. I promise, I will."

"Alright. And when you feel lonely, and can't get to sleep; go into my apartment and grab one of my shirts to sleep in. Hell stay in my apartment if you have to, it doesn't matter. Just remember Bones that I'm still here with you, and I'll be back in your arms in no time."

"How much longer?" she asked; running her fingers through her hair as she slipped out of her lab coat, and grabbed the spare key to his apartment that he had given her years ago.

"Twenty three more days Bones," Booth answered; smiling into the phone and nodding as the commander circled his finger once again. "I'll try and call back in the next couple of days."

"Please stay safe Booth," Brennan pleaded; slowly making her way through the sliding glass doors, and through the hall ways that led to the parking garage. "Don't be a hero."

"I'm only a hero for one person," he promised. "And I think you know who that is."

"Parker?"

"You, Bones," he stated; smirking when he heard her light chuckle. "But you got that..."

"You're a hero to many people Booth. Not just me."

"Maybe, but we'll have to save that discussion for another time. I'll be sending instructions to Angela if I find out you aren't taking care of yourself."

"I'm just about to go to your house and steal all your beer," Brennan swore; smiling as his lighthearted chuckle eased the weight that had settled in her chest.

"That's my girl," he whispered. "I'll talk to you later Bones."

"Alright."

"I love you, Bones." His was a slip.

"I love you." Hers wasn't.


	58. I'll Take Famous Murders For 500

**An: Ah the loophole to cheating...I haz it.**

**As I've said before and will probably say many times from now on, I have opened my twitter to the progress of my stories. If you go to twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus you'll be subjected to multiple tweets that I will be updating periodically. I'll be giving out little hints, telling you if I'm working on a story or not, and how far I am working on said story. It's an awesome deal, so it you're part of the twit community, come on over!  
**

_

* * *

Last night I woke up to you talking in your sleep  
Describing a room I've never smelt, I've never seen  
Here we go again, the roller coaster breaks and bends_

_I lifted up your shirt, saw the scratches on your back  
You said you never would, but a scar's a proven fact  
Come with me let's drive  
Take a trip where heaven lies_

_Smile and wave, you're on your way  
To hell and back girl you know you're drowning  
With heavy heart you sank too far  
To hell and back in a sea of deadly sin  
I can see you sinking in  
In a sea of deadly..._

_-I'll Take Famous Murders For 500 (Watchout! There's Ghosts)_

Isn't it ironic, that many life changing things are revealed within the depths of the night's darkness, instead of in the brightness of the sun? Does that large star that glares at us every day scare our truths deep within our souls, or does the moon's silver glow have a special power that pulls the truth from loose lips?

Or does it have to do with the fact that with darkness comes fear? As tired bodies move to rest, minds run rampant with worries and fear. Like the small child worrying about the monster under his bed, or the high school sophomore worrying about his exam the next day. Even the most grown of men worry when the world starts winding down, contemplating exactly how he was going to keep a roof over the heads of his family, and food in their stomachs.

Her greatest fear; other than suffocating to death; was infidelity; especially finding the man with whom she had fallen in love with far too quickly an adulterer. She knew he was a man of honor, and he wasn't one to treat a woman wrong, but she also knew that his heart had been filled long before she had arrived, and that in a sense she was just a replacement for the woman who couldn't decide if she wanted him or not.

The week before she had had business obligations in California, and for three very long days she was away from her new home in Washington D.C. When she returned he seemed normal enough, but his odd 'overly happy' attitude brought questions to her mind, and she wondered just what he did when he was alone.

He mumbled in his sleep; whispering words of a life that he often had in his dreams. She knew she wasn't there, and knew that the soft smiles that touched his lips and the gentle chuckles weren't induced from her, but from the gorgeous brunette scientist he seemed to never shut up about. He rolled onto his side and the moonlight touched the strip of skin that was revealed from his shirt. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected closer, and with hesitant fingers touched the raised skin that was drawn down the panes of his back.

A trail obviously left by the nails of a woman.

She felt further; chewing blood from her lip as she realized that these trails were fair too small to be from her own manicured nails, and with a heart wrenching sob in her chest, she forcefully dug her nails into his back to pull him from his slumber. Wrenching away from her clawing hand, he sat up and glanced at her; screwing up his face as he realized that twin translucent trails of tears were sliding down her cheeks, and her skin had flooded with blood. "What's wrong?" he whispered; scrubbing his hand over his face.

"Want to explain to me why you have scratches on your back?" she hissed, cursing the way her tears fogged the vision of the man in front of her. She wiped them away vigorously and wiped her face fully; her features cast into stone. "That obviously didn't come from my hands…"

"What are you talking about?" he groaned; trying to reach behind him to feel, but was stopped by the punch she threw to his shoulder. "Ow. Hannah, what's your problem?"

"My problem is your partner!" Hannah said in a shriek, pulling back the sob that halfway escaped from her throat. "How the hell can you date me, and say you love me, when it's obvious you love her a WHOLE lot more?"

Shaking his head and touching the skin of his back, heat flushed his cheeks. He chuckled in a dark anger and shook his head; spiking up his hair in frustration. "What? So you think I slept with her behind your back?"

"That's exactly what I think happened," she agreed; raising more on her knees to try and gain leverage on him. "And I think you're a fucking dirty cheater."

"How exactly are you going to take that one back when you realize it's not what you think?"

"I'll never realize that it's not what I think, because what I think is what I know. Can I ask on question though? Does your _'Bones'_ uses you for a scratching post all the time, or just when I'm not in town?"

"Bones doesn't-"

"You know what," she cut off; shaking her head in pure anger and agony. "You know my worst fears, and this is one of them. Just…get out. Get the hell out of this house."

"You can't throw me out of my apartment Hannah," he growled, glancing to the clock momentarily. "Especially when it's four in the morning, and you don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Seeley…just get the fuck out. Get OUT!" this time her voice was a scream; her hand reaching out to throw a picture of the two of them against the mirror at the end of the room; a loud crack following the sound of perfectly shattering glass. The sobs rained full force as he looked at her with empty eyes; eyes that reflected not only physical fatigue, but emotional fatigue. He was tired of her.

'_Well no shit Sherlock. You just found that out…'_

She watched him slip his coat on over his shoulders, and with a last look over his shoulder he disappeared, and deep within her heart she regretted the fact that she didn't let him talk, before she threw him to the winter cold streets.

~*~*B+B*~*~

In the early morning twilight, Temperance Brennan coughed into her arm as she stumbled to her door shivering against the cold that had wrapped within her apartment. The tank top and shorts that clung tight to her body did nothing to ward off the winter temperatures outside, and as she scrubbed her eyes and squinted into the peep hole, she opened the door with curious eyes. "Booth, what are you doing here?"

"Hannah kicked me out," he said, striding into her apartment with anger in his gait until he realized what she was wearing. His eyes hollowed and his face paled before he shook his head, and nodded in her direction. "Gonna put something on there Bones? You're going to get sick wearing something like that."

"Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean that I'm going to get sick Booth," she argued in her usual scientific tone; cold and collected like the snow outside. "Bacteria and viruses are what make you sick, not cold weather."

"The flu is more common in the winter than it is in the summer Bones."

"Because the cold weather forces people inside, Booth. That is what promotes the transmission, not the weather itself."

"Alright, whatever," he forced out in a half growl. "You're shaking like a fucking Chihuahua; you're freezing, I'm only trying to be nice and take care of you, like I always do."

Instantly her body stopped, and her eyes widened at his harsh words. She softly bit into her lip and shook her head, moving towards her bedroom before he reached out and softly wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He looked at her with pleading eyes, and with tenderness overwhelming to her, he pulled her closer. He wrapped her in his arms, and even though the winter chill still bit at his cheeks he was warm; much warmer than her lithe little frame barely covered against the night air.

"I'm sorry Bones," he whispered against her hair. "I'm just…Hannah threw me out because she thinks I slept with you."

"Why would she think that?" Brennan asked, pulling away from him enough to gaze into his steeled face with utmost concern. "I've been nothing but supportive of your relationship. You two were…are…happy. Why would I want to disrupt that?"

"She said I had scratches on my back," he explained; unconsciously sliding his jacket from his shoulders. As he was about to throw it on the couch, he turned back to her and wrapped her in the warmth; chuckling softly at how the large trench coat fell to her shins. He turned his back to her, and lifted up his shirt enough to show the lines of torn skin; raised and red from irritation. "Asked if you used me as a scratching post all the time."

"These are from when you threw your back out," she whispered; reaching out with freezing fingers that slid down his back. He shivered and jumped forward, a shake of his head accompanying his hands circling her own.

"Doesn't your apartment have a heating system?"

"Of course, but it saves electricity if I don't use it at night. Besides, I like my house being super cold in the winter. It feels nice to curl up in all my blankets."

The image brought a smile to his face, and a soft tugging of his hands brought her closer. Her earlier words set in and he tilted his head, speaking in a tone that was only curious, and in no way accusatory. "What do you mean they were from when I threw my back out?"

"Wha-Oh! That's right! You fell asleep. When you threw your back out during our case, and I released the tension built up in your muscles-"

"Cracked my back…"

"Precisely. You still felt tension in your back so I used multiple different therapeutic massages to relax your body. When I started incorporating my nails, and softly scratching them down your back you went right to sleep, but I didn't realize that you were asleep for almost an hour afterwards because you kept grumbling in a very pleased tone I might add. I'm sorry. I wasn't paying enough attention. I should have known those would have left marks for at least two days afterwards."

"Bones, it's alright," he assured, pulling her closer still. "I needed a break anyway."

"Why?" she asked; tilting her head and blinking hard against the sleep that was returning to weigh down her eyes. "I thought you really loved her."

"I love her, Bones," he whispered, stepping against her so that their torsos were pressed together. "You're the one that I _really_ love. She figured that out, and ever since she found out our partnership history she's been super clingy, jealous and moody. Besides, you know I only have a weak spot for confident, kick ass forensic anthropologists that don't take no for an answer."

The smile that broke across her lips was simply beautiful, and he felt his insides melt against the freezing apartment; his arms circling around her once again to bring her into the warmth of his grasp. Her hands settled over his chest, but instead of her attention being held on her face, her eyes remained on her left hand; pressing harder against his chest so that she could feel his elevated heartbeat. She smiled once again, and for a second removed her hand; placing a kiss right over the beating, before she once again covered the spot with her palm; hiding her secret from unwanted eyes.

"Don't you feel like you're going against her though?" Brennan asked, looking up at him and holding her breath as she watched the internal conflict play within his eyes.

"Bones, I've felt like I've been cheating on her since I got back here. I can't necessarily move on when I'm not ready too."

"Well, even though I'm sorry about what happened with you two, I'm very glad that you aren't ready," she confessed; moving her right hand to the side of his face. "If you were, then I wouldn't necessarily be able to do this."

She rose on her toes, and brought their lips together in a soft embrace. Heat erupted from their chest cavities like pure oxygen reacting to the spark of their kiss; completely and utterly explosive. Lips moved more feverishly, and tongues added to the passion, but in their sea of deadly sin, she refused to remove her hand from the strong beating of his heart.


	59. Deuces

**An: A chapter I finished today at work. Finally got to post it.**

**I've opened my twitter to the progress of my stories. Follow me at twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus, if you want what chapters are being worked on, FF plans, progress, hints, etc.**

**Always Remembering 9-11!  
**

_

* * *

You made me wanna say bye, bye.  
Say bye, bye.  
Say bye, bye to her._

_ -Deuces (Christ Brown feat. Tyga)_

He was frustrated. No, he was pissed; beyond pissed if he was going to be completely honest. He had spent more time firing off rounds in the range downstairs than actually working in the past week. He felt on edge, tired, confused, and no matter what he did, he couldn't get a break.

Every time he turned around, one of them had to be there. Most of the time it was Hannah, being her usual sweet self, but when it really counted, and he was praying for someone to talk to…it was always Bones.

He didn't realize instantly, but her time away had changed her…a lot. She was more open, and more eager to jump in and help if help was needed. She had a new kind of spark in her eyes; one that he could only explain as sadness tied in with acceptance and hope. Her usual banter seemed more human, and less robotic. In truth, he didn't know whether to be concerned, or amazed.

Scratch that…he didn't know whether to be amazed, or amazed. She always amazed him, and even after seven months…and another woman, that still remained true.

Shiver, twitch, repeat. Every single time he pulled that trigger, he couldn't help but think of the images of her throughout their time together. He ran over every single one of their cases, and passed it with a shot of his gun; wondering exactly where they went wrong.

He knew she was coming; he could recognize her footsteps walking through Time Square. He let the empty magazine fall into his hand, and he leaned heavily against his little cubby when he heard those footsteps stop. "What are you doing here?"

"I was...just…looking for you." Her confession was laced with vulnerability; her voice small and quiet as if she was nervous to be around him. "If you want me to leave…"

"No," he answered quickly; trying to relieve the tic in his jaw as he turned his eyes to her. "No, I don't want you to leave."

"Are…are you sure?"

"Bones, I never want you to leave," he grumbled as he slammed a fully filled magazine into the bottom of his gun, and took aim on the pitiful paper target in front of him. "That's my whole fucking problem."

Her hands flew to her ears before he fired the shots off one by one; the heart of the target quickly transforming into a gaping hole. He slammed his fist against the button beside him and watched as the flimsy paper moved closer and closer to him. He tore the poor, desiccated drawing away and walked towards her; shoving it in her hands and pointing to the hole in its chest. "This is how I feel Bones," he whispered, pulling at the strands of his hair. "All the damn time I feel like someone blew my heart out."

She looked up at him with those eyes, and he expected a huge rant about how if his heart had actually been blown from his body he would be dead, but it didn't come. Instead she placed the paper on a table beside her, and the soft pads of her fingers touched the back of his hand. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Temperance…you do so much already," he said in a diluted harsh tone. "Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"Why do you do so much for me?"

"Booth, you've told me before that people go to extended lengths to please the ones they care about. You're my best friend…I care so much for you, and I want nothing more than for you to be happy," she explained; tilting her head to the side to enunciate her point.

"Bones," he said in a whimper; turning his hand into her own as he winced as if in physical pain. "How can you be doing this to me?"

"Doing what?" she asked in genuine inquiry; her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed as if he was a confusing riddle she couldn't immediately solve.

He shook his head and slid his hold to her wrist; moving her hand to settled over his quickly beating heart. He looked at her through weak eyes, and smirked as her own widened and her fingers twitched against the material of his shirt. "Bones…every time that I get a moment alone with you…just like this…I want to say good bye…"

"I told you I could leave if you wanted me to Booth."

"I'm not talking about saying good bye to you," he answered cryptically; tightening his hold on her hand the moment she started to pull away.

"Booth…no. You're happy with her."

"We're falling apart," he said quickly, holding her hand even tighter. "Hannah and I…we're falling apart. Besides, I could tell from the moment you met her you weren't happy with us. No matter what Bones…you're MY girl, and what you feel, what you want, what you need, what you dream…that all comes before anything else."

"That…is in no way productive," she whispered, a soft tug of her wrist following her declaration. "You told me you wanted to move on. Well, here you are. You have Hannah, but you're saying that I mean more? That…that isn't right."

"She's practically done with me Bones," he grumbled, taking steps away from her to turn back to his gun. "She said that she needed 'time' to think about what she wants to do, so she's going to see her parents in L.A. tomorrow. I would bet everything I own on the fact that she's going to end things between us, but I can't blame her. I'm nothing more than an asshole."

"Booth, you're the best man I know…"

"Yeah but you don't have to deal with what Hannah has to," he explained. "You don't have to face the fact that the man you're with still loves his partner, and most likely always will."

Her eyes widened as if this was new information, and she opened her mouth to speak, but failed to connect the words. Her breathing had quickened and when he turned around and locked eyes with her, he released the most heart wrenching of sighs, and asked for the second time that night. "How can you be doing this to me?"


	60. The Birds and The Bees

**An: A chapter I finished today at work. Finally got to post it.**

**I've opened my twitter to the progress of my stories. Follow me at twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus, if you want what chapters are being worked on, FF plans, progress, hints, etc.**

**Always Remembering 9-11!**

_

* * *

I hope you know I swear to God.  
I hope you know that this won't stop._

_I swear to God, I won't stop until you're shaking._

_ -The Birds and The Bees (Breathe Carolina)_

How exactly did they get here? How did two platonic partners find their way to this shady bar one Friday night? How did they both convince the other to gamble on their well being after drinking so many shots of tequila as the rain pounded the city streets outside? How was it, that the alcohol had made them so hazy, that they completely forgot about their line in the attempt to reveal and touch every single inch of skin that hugged their bodies in the most perfect ways?

How was it that the second they stepped outside, and their lips touched while the rain soaked to their skin, they still kissed even though they both felt sober enough to know they shouldn't be doing this? How was it that she had allowed him to carry her to her door, without any protest from her what so ever? And how was it, that he was able to rest her in the middle of her bed, and make love to her, despite her primal instinct for hard, fast, and deliriously pleasing?

How was it that he was able to hold her hands above her head, and triple the speed of his hips against her own while whispering cryptically and clearly into her ear: "I won't stop until you're shaking," while inside he felt dizzy, and ready to explode? How was it that she was able to breathe, when her throat and lungs were working in over time to vocalize the pleasure that was building up in her core? And how was it that she was able to scream when her orgasm was ripped from her, when afterwards she felt as if her lungs had collapsed?

How was it that he completely unconcerned with the fact that he was bare inside of her? How was it that the feeling of him shooting deep into her womb only brought to mind the fact that they had waited too long for this, and the consequences of what he might have just done didn't mean anything? And how was it that through alcohol, and extreme pleasure, that his only thought wasn't of how good she was during sex, but of how much he cared about her, and how precious she was to him?

Was it love that drove this couple together? Was it lust? A combination of the two? Or was it just a simple promise, made long ago, that only recently was kept?


	61. Makeup

**An: My computer is being really effin slow, and I'm not liking it. -.-**

**I've opened my twitter to the progress of my chapters and stories. So if you are interested, head to twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus, and click that little follow button. It brings rainbows and sunshine. Or rain and darkness if you prefer. :)  
**

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* * *

As makeup runs down your cheeks,  
You found that you are lost again.  
Try to make your way back home,  
Found that you're alone._

_Fall down.  
Searching for the perfect place,  
For you to lose it all again._

_Slow down.  
Keep it at a steady pace,  
As I watch you fade away._

_ -Makeup (Escape The Fate)_

What is a year? A full revolution around the sun or twelve turns of a calendar? Is it only three hundred sixty five days passing at a leisurely pace, or is it just another chapter in your life? What is a year, but just a world wind of opportunities?

That's how long he had been partnered with her. Just one, single year; a sole revolution around the sun and only twelve flips of a calendar. For a year, he has had to deal with her antics, and her hard headedness, but for a year he has also made a friend. The start of their relationship was rocky to say the least, but after a year the hatred they had for each other, had dissolved into a compatible friendship.

Sure they weren't best friends, hopping the city all day every day, but it was to the point where he cared about her. Hell, ever since he laid eyes on her that very first time he had cared about her…in multiple different ways. But back then, that care was driven by lust, and possibly a spark of something else. Now, it was rooted deep in realms he didn't want to deal with.

His care for her was deep; to the heart deep, even if it had only been a year.

But what is a year when the person you care about, has just found the bones of her mother in the basement of a lab?

Sure, they both knew who killed her mother, but in her rational mind she knew they didn't have enough. They had no solid forensic evidence to convince a jury that McVicar killed Christine Brennan, and after a year, he knew better than anyone that without forensic evidence, Temperance Brennan didn't leave the lab.

He blamed it on the voice of her father, pouring from her phone like poison slowly creeping through blood. He blamed it on the fact that he told her to stop looking, and he blamed it on the fact that until she was satisfied, she would never stop.

But even after a year, he never expected her to still be at the lab on a Sunday, at three in the morning.

He himself couldn't sleep that night, his mind wondering through the depths of the night as he worried about how she was. Every two minutes he would look over to his phone on his night stand and think about calling her, but the small twinge of hope inside of him thought she would be sleeping, and oddly unbothered by the sound of her long lost father's voice. He hoped that Russ had been able to be the big brother, and take care of her, but the part of him that _knew_ her, knew that she wasn't sleeping, and by no means 'fine'.

So in the dead of the night, he drove to the lab; tiredly greeting the night guards who had a look of relief in their eyes. They were worried about their anthropologist, and they were thankful that someone had come around to help her.

The doors parted as if it were judgment day; tantalizingly and torturously slow. He stepped into the sterile serenity of the lab, and frowned as he saw the woman he was looking for standing on the platform, her body cast completely in stone as she stared at the body of her mother. They were burying her tomorrow, and she was desperately looking for clues.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly, her eyes never leaving the bones laid before her. "It's late."

"I should be saying the same thing to you," he whispered, taking his card from his pocket to allow him quiet access onto the platform. "You know, you've had a tired week. You should go home and try to sleep, Temperance."

He couldn't see her face that well when he walked in, but as he neared, he recognized the streaks of black that littered her cheeks. The tears falling across her skin were barely gray, since her mascara had long since been washed from her eyes, but they darkened the stains no less, and he felt a painful twitch in his heart.

Yeah, he cared about her.

Her pale, blue-gray eyes turned to him, and he fought to keep his breathing normal as he saw the pleading within her irises. She didn't have to say anything on her behalf, because in all truth, he knew exactly what she was doing here.

"He won't get away, Bones," he whispered, his hand reaching out to softly touch her shoulders. "We have all the evidence we need. The jury likes stories, not scientific mumbo jumbo they can't understand."

"She was alive for a year after she left me," she said, turning towards him. "Do you know how much that hurts? To know that, she could have come back. She could have saved me, from what I had to go through. For fifteen years I had a…an almost hatred for my family, even though I knew that no matter what, I still loved them. And now, I have my mom, and my brother back, but the man who tore apart our family might walk away from this like it was nothing. My mother was murdered, my brother is on parole and my dad is still hiding because he's a criminal. My whole family is full of criminals, and here I am trying to fight against that. I thought I had everything in control, Booth, but now I feel like I'm losing it all again."

Moving his hands to her cheeks, he used his thumbs to brush away the stains of her makeup, and directed her attention solely on his words as his fingers moved against her skin soothingly. "Temperance, listen to me. Your mom and your dad may have been criminals, but in their world they were in the highest of esteem. What they did, they did for their family and no matter what, you and Russ _always_ came first. They might not have made the best decisions, and won't be in the running for parent of the year, but they were honorable. They left, to save you. If they stayed, you wouldn't be here today. You'd be the one in limbo; silenced for all eternity. They gave you a second chance, and now here you are, giving back the voice your mother sacrificed for you. You aren't fighting against your family on this one, Bones. You're helping them."

Her eyes widened before him, and he watched as her lips parted and she fought to breathe. Forcing against his hands, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him; her hug a breathless vice. His arms wrapped around her lithe frame, and a smile was brought to his lips as he felt her chest rising against his own, and felt her heart pulsing under his hands. He listened as her rasping breathing brushed against his ear, and he felt his heart stop as her soft lips pressed against his stubble roughened cheeks.

"Thank you, Booth."

Yeah, he cared about her.


	62. Slow Suicide

**An: Little high school/teen/young adult fic for ya. How 'bout that? XD**

**I've opened my twitter to the progress of my chapters and stories. So if you are interested, head to twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus, and click that little follow button. It brings puppies and kittens. Or alligators and gigantic pythons. Depending on what you want more. :)**

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* * *

It's the smoke,  
and the drinks,  
and the smiles, that it brings._

_It's the pain,  
and the sex,  
disguised as incense._

_Slow suicide,  
Like it or not,  
it's what we do._

_ -Slow Suicide (Jamison Parker)_

He didn't expect for her to come over, but the knocking on his window late in the night immediately told him something was wrong. He was already been on his way to drunk after his latest fight with his father, but immediately his own self pity evaporated when he saw the newest of bruises across her flawless skin. Despite her problems with her foster parents, he greeted her like he always did; taking her in his arms and kissing her softly as he let his fingers run through her hair.

She had tears in her eyes, but the touch of his lips practically evaporated them, and he held her in a tight hug as she melted into his embrace. So many nights they had spent together like his, fighting with each other against the horrors of unfair home lives. She was still in high school, finishing up her last year as a senior, and he was going to the community college for criminal justice. He stuck around with his bastard parents to save his money, with a plan of moving with her to Illinois once she graduated.

She was a genius, and was accepted to go to Northwestern. He was a normal guy, working as much as he could, to provide for the woman he had fallen in love with.

She smiled when she kissed him again, and she shook her head as she rested her fingers against his jaw. "You've been drinking," she stated, in the silky, sultry tone she seemed to always speak in when they were together.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "Fought with dad again today. Thought it would be a good time to break open the bottle."

"It's never a good time to break open the bottle," she whispered, tilting her head at him. "And you know that."

"Would you like to do the honors?" he asked, reaching out and grabbing the bottle of scotch that was sitting on his dresser.

She nodded, and she gently pushed her long, auburn hair behind her ear, before she leaned out his window, and poured out the thick brown liquid. She could see him tense visibly, and as she tossed the bottle into the nearby woods, she grabbed his hand, and pressed a soft kiss to his wrist. "I got you to quit smoking. I can get you to stop drinking too."

"The very last of my money was spent on that bottle," he whispered as he rested his forehead against her own. "All of the other money I have has been placed in our account."

"I put my paycheck in this morning on the way to school," she said, a smile blooming on her face as she pulled out the deposit slip and handed it to him. "Look at how much we have."

He took the small white paper, and squinted against the darkness of his room. He smiled and laughed; happiness burning in his chest. "Over ten thousand," he hushed, scrunching the paper between his hand as he took her in his arms and swung her through the air. Their lips connected, and in his semi-drunken stupor, they fell against his bed. His body came to hover against her own, and passionately their tongues tangled together, their happiness quickly coloring to pure lust.

"We reached our goal," she muttered, as his lips started to move against her neck. Her eyes closed, and she rested her head back as a soft moan left her lips. "We'll be able to move without a problem."

"And we still have another semester to go," he pointed out. "But, I have to ask. Do you think I could have two hundred from my check this week for something?"

"Why do you need that much money?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly in the curiosity.

"I want to buy something."

"What?"

"I can't tell you."

Her lips parted in a smile, and she shook her head; letting her fingers run through his hair as their lips joined together again softly. "As long as you aren't buying anything harmful to yourself, that's fine. It's your money. I have no control over what you do with it."

He moved to his knees, and reached over to his CD player. He hit the play button, and turned the sound up until he was sure their voices would be masked. He reached into his bedside table and pulled out his lighter; flicking open the top to light the piece of incense, before he blew out the flame, and smiled as the calming smell flooded his room. He replaced his lighter, and pulled out one of the condoms he had hidden within a small prayer book, before he turned back to see that she had already discarded her shirt for him, and she was reclined happily in her low rise jeans.

"I'm pretty sure you'll like what I'm buying," he murmured, ducking down to press a kiss against her quivering stomach. "Which do you prefer, silver, or white gold?"


	63. The First and Last Time

**An: Love Electric Valentine, and love Breathe Carolina, so therefore I love this song. XD**

**I know the title is sort of suggestive of sadness, but somehow it didn't end up that way. So instead of it being the first and last them they do the horizontal mambo, it's the first time they make love to each other, and the last time they'll be alone. :)**

**Optimism!**

**This, if it isn't described properly, is set soon after The Parts In The Sum Of The Whole...Jesus I hate writing out that huge episode title.**

**FOUR MORE DAYS!  
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* * *

Like there's not a million reasons to leave me._

_Just what will you choose?  
What have I got to lose?_

_We'll never be this young again.  
Why wait forever?  
We'll never be this close again.  
Please don't say never._

_ -The First and Last Time (Electric Valentine feat. Breathe Carolina)_

He was insane for believing he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He was insane for thinking that he loved her. He was insane for thinking that she was anything more than a broken shell of a human trying to function properly. He was insane for kissing her, and frankly…she was insane for enjoying it.

That itself was what really scared her. It was the fact that with his arms around her, and their lips softly pressed together, she was in the most euphoric state of happiness. The kind of happiness you're damn lucky to ever experience.

But in the midst of the confusion that was them, she didn't consider that fact, and she pushed him away. Her hands felt like the embodiment of destruction, and they still felt that way as she rested on her back, and kept her maroon sheets clasped over her chest.

Just like the day before, his eyes held sadness; heart crushing sadness, that brought tears to her own eyes. She knew what he wanted her to say, and she knew she wanted to say it, but her body wouldn't respond, and with each stretching second she knew he thought that she believed what they just did was a mistake.

But something so passionate and wild, which at the same time was tender and caring couldn't be a mistake. Emotionally, and physically, they gave and took; trading and balancing the pain of the previous day in a healing act that could possibly be the last cut to everything they cumulated over six, very long years.

What possessed him to come over to her house that night was beyond her, and what exactly possessed her to seduce him was also lost knowledge. All she could really tell was that what almost took place when they first met, couldn't have quantified to what happened that night. Sure, the actual act of sex is nothing new, but adding them, and everything they had gone through as a factor, made the whole thing explosive; spectacular and completely fucking dangerous.

She watched as his throat was worked, and she watched as he coughed, and turned his head into his hand to mask the tear that had shot down his cheek. Her hands were destructive, and every single time she touched him, she seemed to beat away the last vestiges of sanity he possessed.

He sat up, and scrubbed his hands over his face; his body turning so that his legs hung off the side of her bed, and his back was placed to her. She softly gasped for a breath of air, and she sat up along with him; her eyes boring into him, but doing nothing to turn him towards her. She inched closer to him and rested her hand on the back of his head; a soft bite to her lip following the tensing of his shoulders. She slid her hand down to the nape of his neck, and with a soft touch of her knuckle to his chin; she turned his eyes to her.

Her fingertips grazed along his jaw as she brought their lips together; the soft movement of their joined tongues soothing some of the tension in his body. He was insane…because she made him happy.

"You're killing me here Bones," he whispered once they parted; his head coming to rest against her shoulder. "I don't think I can handle this being a onetime thing."

"Booth," she returned; an almost scolding twinge in her tone. "Come here." She rested back, and he followed suit; her arms circling around his shoulders as he settled his head against her chest. The soft strands of his hair parted under the soothing caress of her fingers, and her lips pressed comforting kisses against his furrowed brow.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, pleading. "I'm sorry, but I can't just have you and quit. We can't just…make love like we did, and then go back to being just friends. My heart can't take that Bones."

"Calm down," she shushed with a tender kiss to the bridge of his nose. "Stop worrying about something that isn't going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't a onetime thing, Booth. Nothing has ever been a 'onetime thing' between us," she explained as her fingers brushed down the side of his stunned face. "I'm scared as hell, but I think it will be a lot more painful for us to pretend we didn't completely lose ourselves in each other, than for me to be brave and go into something I have no idea what the outcome is going to be."

"Nothing has to be scary when you're with me, Bones," he promised; his body rising so that he was rested on his side right beside her, his hand resting on her stomach, where his fingers started smoothing soft circles. "I'll always be here to protect you."

She shivered under the soft touches of his hand, and a soft smile graced her face as she turned her head to press a loving kiss right over his heart. She covered the hand at her stomach with her own, and used her other to direct their lips together. They kissed leisurely, and soft groans of pleasure erupted from their throats.

He rested on his back, and brought her onto his chest; his hands brushing her hair away from her face as they kissed feverishly, and they're bodies rolled against the other passionately. "See," she groaned, when his lips brushed against her neck. "Not a onetime thing."

"Well, then maybe I should amend that this shouldn't be a one night thing."

"I severely doubt that that'll be possible," she whispered as her nails dug into his chest, and she crushed their lips together and sent them on a roller coaster of delirious pleasure.


	64. After Hours

**An: Working after hours, on After Hours. Heh...Heh heh...I'm going to sleep.**

**Make sure you check our my twitter. Twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus, for story updates and hints.  
**

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* * *

This night is winding down but time means nothing.  
As always at this hour time means nothing.  
One final, final round 'cause time means nothing.  
Say that you'll stay, say that you'll stay._

_ -After Hours (We Are Scientists)_

Long nights, faded into long days, and fatigue seemed to weigh heavily on them when they were apart. Her eyes would fight to remain open as she tried to focus on the bright bones before her, and he would drink cup after cup of coffee to keep himself interested enough to finish the paperwork in front of him. They would day dream, and think of being together, despite the fact that there was no case for them to work on, and they both had tremendous loads of work to be done. But of course all that didn't matter. Nothing really mattered when you got to spend your time with your best friend.

She knew it was irrational at how energized she would feel when she saw him, but she welcomed the irrationality gratefully; her happiness renewed upon his sight. She would move to her couch, like she did every time he showed up, and they would sit side by side. They would completely forget their obligations and focus on only themselves; their laughter and playfully banter electrifying the air around them.

They would lose track of time, and they would make plans for that night; their time together energizing them to the point where the projects that were thought impossible before, were mere moments away from completion. The time would fly once again, and soon they would find themselves together; loosening ties and changing out heels as they made their way to The Founding Fathers.

They would sit, and eat, and talk, and drink; the whole world turning around them, and only them. Nothing else around them existed, and nothing else mattered except what mattered to the two of them. He would talk about Parker, and she would talk about the latest escapades with her father, and the wine glasses and beer bottles would pile around the table. They would sit and talk up until closing, and they would frown at the sight of the silver moon; shining bright and high in the sky.

They wouldn't be drunk, but they would be tipsy enough that it would be a bad idea to drive, and they would leave the keys with a good friend of theirs, that always drove the SUV back to his apartment. On a particularly cool night, they would call a cab and go back to one of their apartments, but on a cooling summer night, they would walk arm and arm slowly down the street.

"You know, the whole reason that we're always so tired is because we're out all hours of the night," she pointed out, with a playful scrutiny that was in no way sincere. In truth she enjoyed being with him, possibly too much.

"It feels like high school all over again," he joked, a soft laugh that warmed her heart following the smile that turned on his lips. "But I would rather be falling asleep in my office, then give up any of my time with you Bones. We have been working so much lately that we haven't gotten any time to actually hang out."

"I have noticed that our personal time together has declined," she observed. "I don't find it pleasurable, but with our combined workloads it's no wonder why we've been pulled apart. Limbo seems to be expanding, and I feel that I have been lacking in their identifications, along with working on the manuscript for my next book, and helping my grad students. You have had Parker a lot since Rebecca started working at the firm, and I'm sure Cullen isn't too happy with your procrastination of the paperwork from our previous cases."

"Yeah he's not," he muttered, his shrugging shoulders brushing against her own. "But hey, it's hard to do paperwork for three cases, when you have a triple homicide to deal with."

"I was able to finish mine on time."

"Bones, you're a genius. You could give a lecture on quantum physics, juggle knives, and solve a murder all at the same time."

"I can't juggle knives Booth."

"I didn't mean literally. I'm just trying to get the point across that you have an incredibly huge brain, and that huge brain allows you to stay focused, and multitask. I can't do that. I have the attention span of a gnat."

"Well, in truth, you're brain would be slightly larger than mine since you are male and you are bigger. The size of your brain is roughly a little larger than two of your fists, but it's not the size of your brain that determines your intelligence level, it's a matter of how quickly you can tap into the different parts of your brain that help you retain and repeat knowledge. I myself am very quick at doing so," she ranted, her squint speak confusing, but at the same time, incredibly cute to the man who was looking at her with far away eyes; a smile on his face that displayed pure happiness. "Am I confusing you Booth?"

"No, Bones. I got you there. I just, love when you go off on scientific rants," he muttered as he let the hand that was sitting in the pocket of his jacket, fall to clasp her own. "Half of the time I have no idea what you're talking about, but I find it endearing."

"Endearing?"

"Well yeah. Who else am I going to go to who will spout out scientific facts and then recite the whole process and history of said fact from the encyclopedia as second nature? Only you can do that, or…you're the only one that can do that and it doesn't annoy the hell out of me. It's endearing; something special that I share with you."

"Like calling me Bones?"

"Yeah," he nodded, as they started to ascend the steps to his apartment. They stayed in silence until they reached the inside, and immediately they both plopped down on the couch side by side; the lights still off, and their hands still clasped together. She sighed, and rested her head absently on his shoulder; her body working to bite back the yawn that was dominating from her throat.

"I am so tired," she whispered, as she rubbed at her heavy lidded eyes. "I don't think I've gotten more than four hours of sleep for…probably two weeks now."

"I'm sorry," he confessed as he tilted his head to rest it upon her own. "I always try to call it a night at a reasonable hour, but I never want you to leave, Bones."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I spend every day and every night with you, and still haven't wanted to kill you yet, so you're pretty much stuck with me."

"I'm sure you've wanted to kill me a couple times."

"No. Duct tape your mouth, sure. But never kill you. I would never hurt you."

"Not intentionally."

"Not ever."

She tilted her head up at him, and felt her breath catch in her lungs; that familiar feeling she felt around him burning deep in her belly. They tightened their joined fingers, and her free hand timidly rose to touch his cheek; his soft stubble prickling at her skin. Their eyes joined, and despite the darkness that was surrounded around them, they could perfectly read each emotion swirling in their irises. Passion, care, friendship, desire…love.

The gap was impeccably small, and just a single movement of his head brought their lips together. It was tender, and sweet; full of care and love for each other instead of the lust that was deeply rooted with them. It was a kiss full of emotion, and it brought a slight shake to her hands.

It didn't obliterate their 'line' into smithereens, and it didn't turn their lives upside down, but it was enough for them to _know_, and enough for them to continue. The soft touches of their lips and tongues stopped, and dissolved into soft pecks that resulted in her head once against settling on his shoulder. She snuggled against him the best she could while still remaining her hold on his hand, and he replied by kissed her forehead, and speaking words that were perfect music to her ears.

"Stay with me."

"Just tonight?"

"Forever. Stay with me, forever."

"That's a lot to ask after one kiss, don't you think?"

"Will it be so much after two kisses?"

"Probably."

"Well how about a million?"

"Hmm, you're going to keep count that far?"

"I'll keep a tally record on the back of my door."

They both laughed breathless laughs of joy, before they gravitated towards each other, and their lips connected once again. They smiled against each other, and in a swift movement, Booth was standing with Brennan held in his arms. He swung her into his room, and plopped her playfully on the bed; uncomfortable articles of clothing being tossed onto the floor.

They moved to rest right beside each other; close enough so that they were just barely touching, but could practically hear each others' hearts beating. He softly touched her cheek, and he kissed her nose; his smile euphoric and free of any burden. "You know, you never actually answered my question."

"It was more of a statement."

"Stay with me, please?"

Her fingers rose to touch his own, and she moved forward enough to kiss him tenderly, before she moved back and buried her nose in the pillow that enveloped her in his scent. She smiled, and once again laced their fingers; her fatigue hitting her like a ten ton battering ram.

"Okay…I'll stay."


	65. The Liar and the Lighter

**An: Okay...first, this might be a cover of another band, but I'm not totally sure.**

**Second, the girl who sings this song has the BEST acoustic songs I have ever heard, and they're so BB it's not even funny. I've been listening to her for about two days straight, and she's just absolutely amazing. I suggest you check her out.**

**Three...I did have the chapter for Getting In Touch finished, but then my computer froze, and the ending half wasn't saved...which happened to be the whole smut scene...Hmmm...Yay. So I have to wait for that inspiration to come back, because I wrote it perfectly the first time, and I'm not settling for anything less.**

**Four...I'm sorry for not updating lately, but school has been kicking my butt. I was lucky to finish my homework at 6, because I still have to do my own personal 'studying' for chemistry.**

**Five...I'm sick...someone heal me.**

**Six...This chapter made me sad...even though it's not all that sad. Well, if you listen to the song with it you'll probably be crying.**

**Seven...make sure you check our my twitter if you want asap updates. twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

**Eight...I apologize AGAIN for taking so long.**

**Nine...I promise to try my best to update as soon as possible.**

**and finally, I'm going to try and work most on this story, The Protector, and GIT. I've waited too long to update all of them, so I'm going to try and make sure I at least give you a little chapter like this to settle you over until I get my writing fully completed.  
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* * *

I'll stick around to watch this town fall down onto its knees,  
You can pray the day that you hope is coming round real soon.  
I will run and stay away in a place that I don't know well of,  
You can chose a different song that you will soon love._

_ -The Liar and the Lighter (Gabrielle Aplin)_

Could one person bring your world crashing down around you? Could that one single second where you go from strangers to acquaintances be like a gunshot? Could life turn on you, and bring upon one single person, that'll stop you dead in your tracks, and clutch onto your throat…daring you to breath?

Was that how he felt about her all along?

No…they were different. She never actually made him happy.

The way his eyes lit up when he glanced out the window and saw her crushed- no -shattered her heart in the hollow of her chest. She couldn't hear anything other than her own heartbeat, and she wanted nothing more than to just…close her eyes and disappear, like she used to do as a child, hiding from the ruthless man hell bent on killing her, instead of caring for her.

The sounds of their laughter echoed in her ears, and she closed her eyes; tightening her grip on the alcohol sloshing in the glass between her hands. The door closed, but their laughter was still there. They were happy. He was happy. Without her.

'_Just let me disappear…'_

No one else could tell how she felt when she was away from him for so long; forced to dig through worthless dirt, under the relentless sun, hoping, worrying, and even praying that he was safe. No one else was there to experience the real dreams she had; the dreams where they solved crimes like usual, but came home to each other…like they did in the romanticized love story she read to him while he was in a coma.

But as her whole body tensed, and her hands started to shake, anyone could tell she was hurt. She brought her drink to her lips, and swallowed the rest, before she slid her bills onto the counter and made her way into the chilly night air. The fall was sitting in, and the wind was blowing heavily; the cold air snapping her hair behind her and buffering at her jacket. Splotches of water fell to cool her heated cheeks, and she stilled to watch the storm rolling towards her.

She welcomed the rain as it soaked to her skin, but she marveled in the way everything seemed so much darker than usual. This place she called home didn't feel like home anymore, and she felt like an abandoned child once again; wandering around aimlessly in search for exactly what went wrong.

But all she found was the spot they had met the week before…the single set of steps where she found out that she had finally been replaced.

She took her spot, and she placed her hands between her legs to keep them warm before she stared into the oddly dull lights that illuminated this…city, and she took her breath.

He was happy, and that's all she ever wanted. She never made him happy, and she was selfish to ever think that she was enough for him. The fact was, he was everything she had ever dreamt of as a small child, and she was only a lost cause.

He was happy, and that's all she ever wanted, but for just this night; to satisfy her selfish self just one last time…she'll let the tears fall, to mourn the loss of the closest thing to love she had ever experienced.

But only for tonight.

Because in the end…

He was happy.


	66. More Than Friends

**An: Sort of bittersweet chapter for you. Just to remind you once again to check out my twitter if you want story update information. twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus.**

**Also check out Gabrielle Aplin she is PHENOMENAL. I did one of her songs last chapter and I have a couple more that I need to do from her, but her voice is so soothing, and her lyrics have this flow that just makes you feel like you're listening to a song she strummed from the strings of her heart.  
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You've been awake for hours.  
I've been awake for days.  
My eyes still feel like I'm asleep,  
Stuck inside an empty dream._

_Question if this is even real;  
Cliché way for me to feel.  
Unfinished messages to send,  
Told you I never wanted it to end._

_I watched you break yourself in two  
and try to give me half.  
And I seem to wonder what it takes to work,  
to make this last._

_And I'd run to the furthest place I'd need to,  
Just to hear you laugh.  
'Cause I need to,  
Find out what it feel to,  
Be broken, into half._

_ -More Than Friends (Gabrielle Aplin)_

Her eyes stung as she tried to rub away the tears that brought upon physical pain with each dripping movement. Her hands were still shaking from the news she had heard days before, and still her phone remained her main focus. She knew he was a wreck, but no matter what she tried to do, she just couldn't get a hold of him.

The clock shined the time of the early morning, and she listened as the nocturnal animals mourned through silence and simply resided within the curtains of rain that were falling from the sky. Yeah, everyone who knew of her history of Booth wouldn't think that she would have liked his girlfriend, but in the end she did. They were friends.

She was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Why this killer went after her in the first place she had no idea, but all she knew was that…she was gone, and would be missed.

Her phone felt foreign in her hand, and she dialed his number once again; listening to the ringing before finally giving up and ending the call. He had told her before that he just needed time. Time and space, for him to think. He promised her that if he needed her he would call her, and so for three days, she had sat awake hoping that he would show up.

A soft knock at her door was barely noticeable, but she jumped to answer it. The world swung around before her at her quick movements, and she stumbled slightly, before she completely disregarded the peep hole, and opened the door to the tired and frayed man that was her partner.

"You look like shit," he whispered under his breath, a small smile gracing his lips as best as he could.

"So don't you," she returned, as her touch reached up to pass her fingers over the tears that were littered across his skin. "I'm glad you finally came Booth."

His eyes lowered to the ground, and she felt recent tears fall around her fingers; his voice lowering to the point where she could barely hear him. "How long have you been up?"

"Three days…you?"

"Going on two. You know Bones; you really should get some sleep."

"Shut up," she hushed as she dropped her hand to grasp his own. She tugged him into her apartment, and she closed the door behind him; her arm looping through his own as she led him to her couch acting as the surface to reflect the light of the water on her window. "This isn't the situation where you should be taking care of me."

"I'm taking this really hard Bones," he whimpered out, as he tried to avoid looking into her tired blue eyes. "I…I can't think straight. It's like…all I know is that I'm sad."

"I know," Brennan whispered; her hand reaching out to touch his arm. "Trust me…I know, but Sweets has informed me that it's a stage of grieving, and in its own way, is healing."

"To just hurt?" Booth asked, flashing his eyes to her own. "I've hurt too much in my life Bones. I'm so tired of hoping and hurting."

Her eyes leaked tears once again, and she squeezed his arm in an effort to give him comfort. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but she only floundered, and sucked in a shaky breath that did little to satiate her need to breathe. "I'm so sorry Booth. I…I just, can't seem to find the proper words to tell you that will make you feel better. I hate seeing you this sad, but I seem to hate it more when I can't do anything to make it better."

He met her eyes, and in that instant lightning flashed outside. He watched as her features were enlightened, before being cast into darkness, and he realized just how pale and fragile she looked. Her eyes held terror, and sadness, and a helplessness he always seemed to envision when he had nightmares of her being locked in the trunk of that car. He was shaking, and couldn't begin to decipher the cocktail of emotions running through him, but as his hand covered her own, he did feel a little bit better.

"Bones, I know you would run to the ends of the world just to make me happy," he whispered as his fingers flexed against her own. "Just you being here helps me. You don't realize how much of a guiding light you are for me."

"I think you've officially gone insane if you think I'm any sort of light."

He chuckled softly, and shook his head in an attempt to make her understand. "No, Bones, it just means that, in the end you're the one person that always pulls me through. You help me through the things I thought I couldn't be helped through."

Her tongue itched as she fought the need to try and correct him; her mind reeling and telling her that she did no such thing. She knew she only caused more pain for him to deal with, but at this time, she obstructed voicing that thought and focused on his words; her tears reappearing at the soft declarations he spoke to her. On impulse she moved forward and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek; her lips catching a soft tear that had fallen from his eyes.

He fell against her at that instance, and he rested his head against her shoulder; letting his last grips on energy flow from his body. He found her warm, and soft, even though she was so small, and the soft touches along his back started soothing him towards sleep.

"Booth, you should really try and get some sleep, and sleeping out here on the couch is not going to work."

"I'll only sleep, when you sleep," he demanded in a weak manner, his words spoken entirely into the skin of her shoulder.

"Well, I haven't slept because I was sure you haven't slept, so therefore you matter more in this situation."

He smirked as she spoke against his ear, and he nodded his head to himself. That was why she was it. The caring side she always hid seemed to open up to him, and he took in a deep breath as one thought he wished he didn't have was brought to the forefront of his mind.

'_God…I still love her.'_

He tried to push that away while she was pulling him from his seat; starting in a path towards the spare bedroom, but he quickly sideswiped her, and turned into her bedroom. She looked at him quizzically, and he smiled softly in an attempt to try and make her understand without speaking. But as he should have known…that was irrational, and highly improbably.

"Bones…I need you with me," he confessed on the breath that she seemed to struggle retrieving. "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, unless I know that my best friend is going to be there beside me when I wake up and have to recognize the reality of all of this all over again."

"Please," he continued when she didn't speak; his hand reaching out to grasp her own. "I…I really need you here Bones."

"Alright," she whispered. "Get comfortable, I'm just…going to wash my face real quick."

Booth nodded in return, and he tiredly stripped down to his boxers; his movements slow and lazy as his eyes remained set on the large, and extremely comfortable looking bed. He slid into the left side, closest to the window, because he somehow knew she slept on the right, away from the cold that seeped in through the glass. He burrowed himself deep in her blankets, and he turned his nose into her pillows; the smell of her shampoo like an instant calming drug.

She found him asleep when she returned, and a flash of guilt flash flooded her body as she found that she enjoyed the sight of him sleeping in her bed. She moved closer to him, and slid into her side; turning towards him, and reaching up to touch the stubble that covered his cheeks. "Good night, Booth," she whispered, as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to the tip of his nose. "Sweet dreams…"

Oh yeah. She still loved him.


	67. There For You

**An: Sad, but super awesome song. :)**

**If you want story hints and progress follow me on Twitter and Tumblr!**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
Tumblr: lalexis(dot)tumblr(dot)com**

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I'll be there for you when the sky falls down  
I'll be there for you when no one's around  
I'll be there for you when there's no way out and you're down  
and you frown_

_I know life won't go your way  
and you never know what to say  
when you have nothing left  
I'll still love you more_

_ -There For You (The Undeserving)_

This case had shaken her to the core, as she was forced to solve the murder of someone who closely lived the life she was leading right now. This doctor, lost to the world, with only a love for her work, and regrets as the last traces of thought. She felt that sting as she imagined if it was her lying on the autopsy table, and she was forced to rethink the way she was living this life she had been so accustomed too.

Any wise man would say that dying with regrets, is like living without purpose, but in her rational mind, she believed that only the split seconds before death would she regret her life, for in the next seconds she would be dead and unable to think. But as contemplation settled in, and her mind reeled through her life, she felt a sort of emptiness that unsettled her. She was living the life she expected…so why did it feel so…meaningless?

At two in the morning, she found herself still sitting in her office; her eyes close to releasing tears as she wondered why all of a sudden, the life that had been so fulfilling meant nothing. She rested on her elbows, and ran her hands over her face against the fatigue settling in. She glanced at her phone, and as she settled her head on her arms, she brought the device closer to her, and traced the screen, wishing that she could call Booth.

But she knew she couldn't…because now, she would be awakening two people, and not just one.

A heated roll of moisture rolled down her cheek, and she glanced down to see her blotter dotted by her tear, some of the ink there smudging outwards. But the words below her couldn't be deciphered, because everything didn't mean anything anymore, and her body mourned the loss of the control she had held on with a vice since she was fifteen.

Her silent tears, quickly turned into wracking sobs; her body hyperventilating and gasping as she tried to calm herself down. She heard footsteps coming towards her, but couldn't stop fighting for oxygen until his hand settled on her shoulder, and she was forced to look up into two chocolate brown orbs that practically burned with concern.

"Bones," he whispered, as his fingers slid from her shoulder to her face, to wipe away the smears of mascara under her eyes. "What's wrong baby?"

Her body stiffened against the term, but eventually she relaxed, and chewed on her lip as he crouched down beside her, and moved his free hand to her knee. His fingers brushed against the seam on the inside of her pants leg, and the soft ministration of his fingers relaxed her into giving him her answer. "Booth…my world is falling around me," she confessed, as she continued to lean against her desk for support. "This whole case has just…ripped everything out from under me. That…that woman, lived a life totally dedicated to the sterile labs, and safe facts that I base my life on, and she ended up on the same autopsy tables that she worked with day in and day out. What if that happens to me? What if, tomorrow I'm abducted, and months later it's my skeleton on the platform? What if that happens to me?"

"That's not going to happen to you Bones," he whispered seriously as his thumb once again trailed across her skin; collecting her tears, and removing them from her face. "It won't happen."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Because I won't let that happen. You should know by now that I'll always be here to protect you."

"You can't protect me all the time Booth," she argued; her face turning away from his to try and hide the embarrassing amount of vulnerability that she couldn't erase from deep within her irises. She reached up, and with quick hands, wiped away the tears that lingered; her body shivering as she tried to control the sobs that were threatening to burst from her lungs. "You have Hannah now. She is your first priority…not me."

"That's not true."

"How can that not be true? I've hardly seen you in the past month. Our after case drinks barely last a half hour, when they used to last for at least two. You never come over to my apartment anymore and…" she stalled, her teeth digging into her lip before she released a frustrated breath. "You're happy. I could never give that to you."

"Bones," he spoke, his voice bleeding with a tender seriousness that made her head automatically turn towards him. "Sure…maybe Hannah is here now, but I have no idea if she'll be here tomorrow. She could leave me in the middle of the night tonight, and I probably wouldn't feel any differently. She may be the now, but you were the first…and I…I still love you more."

Her eyes dilated, and flashed a multitude of different colors as his thumb traced the curve of her cheek. Her heart raced in her chest, and she once again fought for her breath, but in a totally different kind of way. She heard him shuffle, and soon he was stretching up towards her; coming closer and closer, until she sucked in that final breath, and the tender skin of their lips brushed in perfect harmony against the other.

"But," she breathed in as a last resort; her eyes closing against the pleasure she felt rushing through her blood stream. "What about-"

"Ssh," he silenced, his thumb brushing a calming stoke across her cheek before he brought their lips together a little more forcefully, and the soft swipes of his tongue easily opened their mouths to each other. Tongues fought, and breaths mingled in the air above them; trapping them in a compartment of pure body heat. Their hands tensed into claws, and imperceptibly, she stood up to his height, so that his hands could settle on her hips, and press her back against her desk.

She felt him crouch down, and she heard as he brushed everything on her desk off; his hands once again finding their place on her hips so that he could lift her up, and rest her down on the hard, mahogany surface. His body arced above her, and her soft mewls brushed past their lips as his hand started to creep up her shirt, and touch the soft skin of her stomach.

"Oh, Bones," he groaned as he let his free hand drift through the short locks of her hair. "My god you're still it. You're still her. Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones…Bones…Bones!"

Her eyes opened, and she straightened back into her office chair; her hand coming up to brush away the fog that had settled across her vision. She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts, before she squinted up to the man standing above her, with his hand on her shoulder. "You okay there Bones? You were mumbling pretty heavily in your sleep."

Confusion still laced through her brain, and she tilted her head; her hand reaching out to touch his arm. Her breath inhaled sharply as she realized that she had only dreamed of them, and that in fact, she had been sleeping for a good six hours. Despite how much rest she got though, she still felt tired. Tired of the wanting, tired of the pain…just tired, and she quickly turned her head and stood from her seat when a tear slipped from her eye.

"I'm fine," she answered quietly, as she grabbed the coat that was resting on the back of her chair and slid it over her shoulders. "I…I think I'm just going to go home."

"Hey, Bones," he whispered, with the exact same tone of voice that had gained her attention the first time. She turned towards him, and willed herself; pleaded herself, that she didn't show him exactly how not fine she was. "You know, that you can still come and talk to me right? About anything."

"That's where you're wrong, Booth," she muttered; her laptop case finding its way to its usual place on her shoulder. "We…we can't do anything like we used to do," she explained; her hand rising to remove the tear quickly sliding towards the ground. "But, that's life I suppose. Things change, and…we all have to evolve. I believe I am just going to finish up the paperwork for this case at my house…"

"Wait," he called, as he followed her with his eyes, before she started speed walking away from him. "You mean you aren't coming back into work?"

She turned towards him, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the raw and pure sadness that was written so deep in her eyes. He caught the puffiness around her eyes, and still saw the faint black trails that her mascara had left the night before. He tried to move closer to her, but her tear stained hand shot out, and stopped him. She shook her head in reply, and breathed in a deep breath, to level the voice that had lost all traces of rational thought. "No. I…I think I'm going to, take the weekend off, maybe a couple days next week. I need to try and collect myself before I return to work. I find that, since I returned from Maluku, that my work ethic has been disturbed heavily since before I left…and I'm finding, that every single day, I regret my decision to leave."

"You never regret anything, Bones."

"I regret you," she muttered, as her eyes glassed over, and moisture started to bead at her eye lids. "I just…don't know which part I regret more. Meeting you…or losing you. Most days it's losing you, because we both know I would most likely be dead right now if it weren't for you, but then other days…I just, wish that if I knew that we were going to cause each other so much pain…then maybe I should have kept my promise to you, and never worked with you again."

"Bones, why are you saying all this?" he asked, as his own throat worked against the pressure of her words, and the tears in his eyes. "Do…do you not want to work with me anymore?"

"Of course I still want to work with you," she amended. "I just…don't want to love you anymore. That's all. It hurts too much…I'll see you Monday, Booth."

His world was in slow motion as she turned and walked away from him, and while his heart screamed for him to grab her and kiss her senseless, his brain kept him still, and on the safe side of the line. They connected gazes before she walked out of the sliding glass doors, and he finally remembered to breathe at the last sight of her auburn hair. His mouth was dry, and he tried to wet his lips and speak what he felt, but all that came out was: "I love you," to dry, empty lab air.


	68. Say This Sooner

**An: Hey, might be a little out of character, but scientists can't always think in mathematical equations and scientific theories. :)**

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No one will ever see things the way I do  
No one will try  
All my friends think that I'm gone  
But I swear, I swear I'm not..._

_ -Say This Sooner (The Almost)_

They turn their eyes downward in pity, and speak soft words towards me; telling me that they understood how I felt…but I knew otherwise. If I couldn't quantify exactly what I felt, how could anyone else say they felt the same way? I knew I was sad, hurt…crushed to say the least, but what exactly did that all add up to be, and why did something so painstakingly new, seem so old to everyone else?

I was sure that no one had felt the way I did, for the sole reason that no one else had the relationship that I had with Booth. What we have is special, but at this point, it was more painful than anything else. Just hearing his laugh made my heart clench in pain, because I knew that I wasn't the attention of his laugh anymore.

I wasn't the woman that he came to in a time of need.

I wasn't the woman he called in the middle of the night when he had a particularly violent nightmare.

And I wasn't the woman he told all his good news to. He doesn't come to me to express his pride in his son's first place science project, or how he finally understood that confusing math problem that had been stopping him from reaching his full potential.

No…that's not me. Not anymore.

Now, I'm nothing more than a ghost. A ghost wandering through life with death keeping me connected to the waking world. It was masochistic, and terrible, but seeing the graphic proof of the evil in the world brought life into me, but not the life everyone else has. It is dark, and focused solely on the dead, as if I'm finishing the biddings they had left behind.

In an odd way…that bidding is revenge.

I'm a keeper; a reaper; cutting lives short of those who have done the same before. Because of my empty life, I focus on condemning those just as dark as me to a rotting life in a prison cell.

But they took their darkness out on other people.

I take it out on myself.

I don't sleep much anymore. The blood rushes with the thoughts running through my mind, as I picture his lips on hers every time my eyes close. I see the simple touch between them and I feel gutted, as if a long slit was sliced down my belly, and my innards were being pulled out and played with like puppet strings. It makes me sick, and brought me to whatever the hell I am now.

I don't remember the last time I ate a full meal, or actually sat down without the intent to work, but I do remember the names of every single unidentified body that I brought out of limbo, and into the light. The light of pure recognition.

Cassidy Daniels, an eighteen year old girl killed from World War Two, killed with a gunshot to the head. Her arms had been bound. I assumed she had been Jewish.

Jonathan Rickman, a forty eight year old man beaten across the head with a sharp piece of metal. He had been found with military garments that resembled an old Navy uniforms. Places in the material were conserved from fading, in the shape of badges and buttons that declared his rank. A morbid thought passed through my mind as I brought to mind the scenario that he had been robbed for the small tokens that depicted the one thing he had devoted his life to.

James, Kayla, and Callie Johnson. Fifteen, fourteen, and three. They showed evidence of blunt force trauma and fracturing to their wrists and ankles. They had been killed before they were dumped into the river.

All equally sad deaths and all equally lost to the world. Whoever caused these crimes were long dead and probably died happily; no guilt on their conscious for the horrible things they had done, while others suffered and wondered about their lost children.

So many more of these types of cases remained in the basement of this lab. That's why I stay. Without Booth to bring me a sense of life, what am I left with? Nothing truthfully, nothing but to try and give some of the life back to the bodies that look like any other skeleton to the untrained eye.

They turn their eyes downward in pity, and speak soft words towards me; telling me that they understood how I felt. They told me that I'm slipping away; dying away into the abyss of the living dead.

I swore to them that was preposterous, but what is there to live for, when death is the only thing that keeps you alive?


	69. Machines

**An: SO I'm super glad that I was finally able to find a download link for this song because it's not on her EP but it's beautiful. This song is about her friend that went into a coma after a rugby match, and was given a 1% chance to recover. He, at the time this was written, had awoken, and was using his eyes to communicate against the odds of science.**

**I automatically connected this to the not-so-serious coma Booth suffered.**

**And this was born. :)**

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Plasters and stitches could never heal these breaks,  
'Cause doctors are witches for stealing you in the first place_

_Pull the wires from your wrist,  
You don't need them, you don't need this.  
Pull the plugs from the wall,  
Machines won't ever catch you if you fall._

_ -Machines (Gabrielle Aplin)_

They promised me success. They assured success. But as I looked at the situation, how the hell was a coma supposed to be considered a successful?

The man lying under my fingertips would not be a success until his eyes opened, and his throat rasped out the name that he had given me long ago.

His skin was warm, but the hold of his hand was weak, and the soft beeping of his heart monitor did nothing to reassure me. Yes, I knew he was alive…he was there, but he wasn't _there_. He was in a dream state; relaxing as his body tried viciously to repair itself.

Tears pricked from behind my eyes, and I found myself fighting to try and force oxygen into my lungs. My thumb moved against his hand, and I silently willed him to return. Willed for his chocolate brown eyes to open to the world, and willed for his smile to return to magnify the light of the sun.

But willing did nothing in retrospect to pure science, and I was left with nothing to do but wait. I tried squeezing his hand, and moving my hand up and down his arm as if comforting him in the weak state he was in, but once my hand rose too far, and I touched the wires driven into his arm. I jerked back as if I was burned, and I gasped in a breath at the feeling of how inhuman the only thing sustaining him was, compared to the aspect of humanity that Booth encompassed.

I tightened my hold around his hand, and bowed my forehead to his fingers, my body shivering from my lack of contact with him both physically and emotionally. I felt cold without him there. Alone…stuck in a bleak state of darkness that could only be cured by the opening of his eyes, and for the first time since he had fallen into the comatose state so far away from me, I allowed my tears to fall.

As if he was awake, I shook under his touch, but my shakes were as if I was mourning the loss of him, and the thought alone made me sick. I watched as his chest rose and fell against the dressing gown he was in, and I traced the lines of the bandages circling his head before I connected my gaze with his own close-lidded one.

The most minute of flickers showed their presence, and I tried to find the voice that was long since gone from the terror that was poisoning my blood. I tried to concentrate on his hand; searching and feeling for any sort of movement, but I only saw the flicker of his eyes behind his eyelids, and felt nothing else.

"Booth," my voice was weak. Barely even able to be defined as a voice for that matter, as I tried to call to the piece of him I knew somehow belonged to me. I was sure that if he could hear me, he could hear the hurt that I couldn't stop feeling, and irrationally, I thought that his white knight nature would tug him from the coma, but to my dismay nothing happened, and I was degraded into only hoping, and coaching weakly from his side. "Please Booth; I need you to come back. I can't…I can't have you stay like this. These machines can only do so much Booth. I need _you_ to come back…to come back to me. I need you to open your eyes Booth. Please…just…open your eyes."

But still nothing happened, and sobs started to escape instead of breaths. I tried to tighten my hold even further on his hand, but my own muscles failed to comply, and I simply rested my head against the slightly warmed skin of his arm. I felt the tears slide from my eyes towards the crease my cheek made against his skin, and I still gasped for the smallest amounts of oxygen as I pledged the beginning of my vigil.

"I'm here, Booth. I'm here to catch you…and I'll stay here until you open your eyes to me Booth. I promise you, I'll be here when you wake up."


	70. Lovely

**An: I'm telling you right now, I'm dead set that this chapter BLOWS!**

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Up and Down  
you spin me around  
you got everybody watching as you hit the ground  
so take a step back  
you know I'm there_

_ -Lovely (Breathe Carolina)_

They watch her like a hawk, but that's because of the image she made for herself. She worked and paid for herself to become the best, so that recognition would come to her in the form of her success in anthropology, but I don't think she thought through the repercussions of fame. When you want to be watched, yes they watch you throughout the good, but nothing brings attention more, than bad situations.

Because she has worked so hard to paint her own image, she has to face the fact that everyone will turn to watch when she falls. When isn't the cool and collected Dr. Temperance Brennan anymore.

It's slow motion, as she holds the bone in her hand, and listens to the psycho babble that Sweets rolls from his tongue. I can see the pain flourish on her face, and I can see the tightening of her hand around the bone as I, along with her, point out the 99.9% similarity she shares with the victim. I try to meet the kid's eyes, try to mouth for him to stop, but as soon as I speak one word, the bone in her hand is slammed against the autopsy table, and I notice the shaking movements of her hands before she disappears from the platform and runs to safety.

I look at Angela, and her eyes are wide with concern, but to my dismay, she doesn't move. Instead she looks to me, and drills me with a look that made me feel incompetent; as if I was the one that planned out the life this woman lived just for her to be purposefully hurt 36 years later. I started to protest, but as crashing shakes and breaks through the barricade of her office door, my heart starts beating tenfold, and I clear off the platform without taking one step.

I can see her through the glass. Her hands were on the bookshelves at the back of her room; throwing away the books and artifacts surrounding them to the ground in a heap of sadness that had colored her skin bright white, and brought her eyes to shine against her tears. I didn't register that I opened her door, nor did I register actually stalking across her office, but I sure as hell remember circling her wrist, and pulling her from the life that she was single handedly destroying.

She pushed against me, and I felt my heart break as I listened to the cracking of her voice, and saw the tears that were streaking down her cheeks. My hand softened in turn, but still kept a firm enough hold so that I could tug her back in my direction. Despite my best interests, my hand rose and rested on her cheek, instantly stilling her and stopping her in her tracks.

She's sobbing. She's hurt. She's been hurting…and I haven't been there to see it.

My fingers slide from her face to her hair as if we had done this time and time before. My thumb strokes across her moistened cheek and I lean forward enough to press my lips to her forehead in a tender kiss that acts as both my apology, and my promise.

I feel her melt. Melt into the embrace that my arms offer her, and I was quite certain that I never felt a more spiritual thing in my life, than holding the heartbroken woman that I still loved, and knowing that my arms around her, comforted her more than anything ever could.

My fingers slide out the hair band holding her hair in a ponytail, and I let the soft strands of her chestnut hair fall around the caress of my fingers, as my lips rain kisses along the side of her face. Her tears trek from her cheek to my neck and my arms tighten around her; my head falling to her shoulder so I could both physically and emotionally block her from any more pain that could burden her mind.

Spiritual.

It was spiritual; to know that while everyone else watched her break…I was the one that was there to pick up the pieces.


	71. Riot Girl

**An: Oh lord. I love Good Charlotte! :D**

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My girl's a hot girl, a riot girl and she's angry at the world_

_Emergency call 911  
She's pissed off at everyone  
Police rescue, FBI  
She wants a riot, she wants a riot_

_ -Riot Girl (Good Charlotte)_

"Imprudent, invalid, brainless, dense waste of matter," she ranted, her hands settled on her hips as she guarded her body like a bear guarding her cub. "Where exactly did you get your degree?"

The impish boy stood before her, and shrunk in on himself; refusing to meet her eyes and constantly worrying his hands before him. "I…I went to the community college…"

"That explains it! That school is horrible. You would have been better off majoring in the effects of alcohol poisoning and marijuana highs on the body rather than forensic science. Any high school student with half a brain would know NOT to disturb remains at a crime scene!"

"But…we only pulled it out so you could get a better look…"

"You have no need to worry about me. I'm the most highly acclaimed anthropologist in this country. I could have viewed the body perfectly fine, if not better, where it was supposed to be. Do you realize exactly how much trouble you have caused every single person working this case?"

"N-No."

"A plethora load! I'm surprised you were even able to intern for the FBI. They might not have the most intelligent human beings, but most of them constitute as smart. You sir, are nowhere close. I should personally see to you being fired and sent back to your intro to forensics class!"

Booth smirked from his perch against the car, and he let his hand cover his mouth as the small kid turned to look at him with pleading eyes. "Dude, help me," he whispered, before he physically squeaked at Brennan's harsh tone.

"Why would Agent Booth help you? Even though he isn't as intelligent as me, you have caused trouble for him too. I'm surprised he hasn't kicked you off the scene and sent you crying to whoever is able to deal with your stupidity," Brennan growled; her hands tearing at the gloves that covered her arms. She turned violently to another set of FBI forensic techs, and she pointed a dainty, but demanding finger at the body. "Send this to the Jeffersonian, along with the dumpster."

"The whole thing?"

Booth watched as her electric blue eyes flared, and he covered up his choked laugh with a cough; his head turning towards the sky as Brennan's hands fisted and she started backing up towards the SUV.

"No," she answered in a voice that was deadly calm. "Approximately 68.7238% of it…"

The techs shared a confused look, and looked to Booth; his shaking shoulders doing enough to color their cheeks, and give them the answer they wanted.

Brennan moved to the back of the SUV, and stepped out of her jumpsuit; packing it neatly in the back. Her fingers moved to the band behind her head, and she let her long auburn locks shake out, before she shut the trunk, and was soon swept to the far side of the Suburban; her back being pressing against the heated metal of the door.

Booth's hands were settled low on her hips, and with a small smirk, he leaned in enough to barely capture her lips; their kiss soft and sweet, before coloring to a more dark and passionate duel. Her hands rose to his cheeks, and he shivered as he tasted the moan that left her lips the second his fingers dove into the depths of her hair.

"What was that for?" she asked quietly; her body buzzing against his in perfect synchronization.

"Because…you're so hot when you're pissed off."


	72. Finest Mistake

**An: I just recently found this band, and I love their songs. This song itself is so powerful and sweet and I couldn't make this an angst/fluff throw up.**

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Yeah the mood in this room is the same as this weather,  
but the smile from her child seems to make it all better.  
There's a warmth in her heart that she just can't explain.  
With that hope she raises her hands.  
She raises her hands.  
She raises her hands._

_Yeah the East Coast will probably be rainy tonight,  
You can bet that the tear drops will pour from her eyes,  
as she opens them up and,  
lets in the light of the hospital room that she's in._

_Nine months ago she wanted this to just go away,  
now she's holding the hands of her finest mistake.  
The result of her wrongs is this life that she has saved._

_ -Finest Mistake (Skyhawk Drive)_

Swirls of emotions rocked through her heart as the wind pushed against the windows of the hospital, and the rain slammed into the roof of the building holding her. Tears were streaking down her cheeks; swirling with the sweat collected against her neck, as her weak limbs tried to fight away the hospital personnel circling and testing her. Her throat was scratchy from screaming, but she still tried to speak; her words slurred, but demanding, until a large, cold hand settled against her arm.

Her eyes turned up to look at the deep brown caverns, and her heart clenched; more of her tears flowing from her eyes, as she tried to turn her head away from him. His fingers cradled her jaw, and a soft sob left her lips at his intimate touch against her skin. His coaxing fingers brought her eyes to his own, and her hand reached for him when his lips landed on her forehead, in a soft, soothing kiss.

He settled on the edge of her hospital bed, and he bent down enough so that her arms could wrap around him; the rain outside still clinging to his jacket. Her breathing rocked in her throat, but calmed at his proximity, and soon her tears stopped, until his words were spoken against her ear.

"How long have you been home?"

"A…a few months," she answered weakly, her hands trying to keep him close to her despite his strong body quickly unlocking her weak arms.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Booth, you were in Afghanistan. I couldn't call you…and after…after I got that message you left on my cell phone in hope to hear from me…I couldn't talk to you. It hurt too much to realize that…I physically couldn't move on, and you already had," she choked; her hands rising to palm away her tears. "I know it wasn't the right thing to do…but I had no other choice."

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't. You have someone else. You were lucky enough to fall in love with someone else while you were at war-"

"No, Bones," he interrupted; his fingers brushing against her cheek, as he leaned forward enough to steal her breath, before he stole her lips, and kissed her with fever and love, like he had done that night nine months ago. His hand cradled her cheek, and as their mouths opened to one another, he felt her tears smear between their cheeks. He pulled away when his lungs started to burn, and as an act of emotional fatigue, he rested his forehead against her own.

"Bones…if you would have listened to any of the other messages I've left you, you would have known that that wasn't love…and that it had ended a long time ago. You would have heard me tell you every single day that I loved you, and that I only wanted you to be happy. Bones…if you would have just listened to those other messages…you would have known that I was discharged to a hospital in southern Virginia for the past two months."

"Hospital?" she asked, her voice a gasp of concern. "Were you injured?"

"No. I couldn't perform my job. Every night and day I thought of you, and wondered exactly where we went wrong. I was sent to a loony bin because I couldn't get you off my mind. The men thought I was depressed, but that turned out to be a whole bunch of bull shit," he explained, his lips touching her own weakly, before her hands grasped at his cheeks, and connected their lips a little more meaningfully.

"Booth…I'm so sorry. I...I should have-"

"No more regrets," Booth stopped; his fingers brushing away the tears that settled against her skin. "Our whole relationship has been hardships and regrets. We can't do that anymore."

"Dr. Brennan," a nurse asked; a smile on her lips and a bundle in her arms. "Would you like to see your daughter?"

Her back straightened and her arms straightened out; the small baby being passed to her. A smile touched her lips, and a small hand reached up towards the woman the baby knew was her mother. Brennan laughed tenderly, and she moved her finger to the small palm of her child; tears falling heavily from her eyes when tiny fingers curled tight around her own.

She turned her eyes to Booth, and they shared a knowing smile, before he pressed a kiss against her temple, and reached to brush his fingers against the soft skin of the child they made together. The nurse slowly made her way out of the room, and as soon as the door closed, Brennan whispered three words that both concerned him, and brought a smile to his lips.

"My finest mistake…"

"I don't think this gorgeous baby girl could ever be called a mistake."

"I wasn't talking about her. She's…a miracle. I was talking about you."

They smiled to each other once again, and he rested his forehead against the side of her head, before he kissed her cheek and whispered quietly to her. "I don't have to be a mistake."

"You always will be, because you'll always be the man that I'll always be in love with."


	73. Moments Between Sleep

**An: So I'm super sorry that I've only been updating this story, and not any of my longer ones. We're finishing up our first nine weeks so there for the teachers are either piling on the tests, or doing nothing...and when we do nothing, it makes me more tired than if we had a test. :P Along with that and I'm getting used to being around Riley (dad's, fiance's daughter. She's three...and I'm not used to being around children) SHE DOESN'T WEAR ME OUT ANYMORE. Which is great...until I end up staying up till like 11, and then get no sleep. :O**

**But as of right now, I'm very tired, which is why this chapter is so short. I've also had this song stuck in my head all day... :D**

**I promise you that the next chapter of Getting In Touch is coming, I have the word document up now and I am in the midst of the good stuff (winkey winkey), and if I focus on writing that I think I will be able to get it done by Friday. Let's all hope, and will me some extra energy to rock out this chapter!**

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We were all  
so undone  
that we couldn't think of one...  
My eyes won't  
seem to close  
I don't want to see it go.  
It's amazingly strange... (Here the seasons don't exist)  
how we all seem to change... (a summer held in hand)  
Cause we were all (rest while locks)  
so undone... (melt from our door again)  
I'm gone._

_ -Moments Between Sleep (VersaEmerge)_

Words are a beautiful thing. They are a chemical equation that, if mixed correctly, can depict or invoke great emotion. But just like every other aspect in life…words can only go so far.

By definition, sadness is the feeling or showing of unhappiness, grief, or sorrow, but three small descriptive words can't hold a candle to the actual feeling of sadness. Unhappiness can't make you remember a time where you felt utterly helpless, and grief can't flare that pain in your heart that seems to follow as a sign of the plague that will soon cloud your outlook. And most of all, sorrow…sorrow can't color the tears that stain your skin. No, because words can only go so far; a wise fact that I have been deprived off for many, many years.

How could I ever have thought that a single word or string of words could compare to the crippling pain that steals my breath when I sit alone, and remember the nights he spent sitting beside me? How could only a collection of letters ever do justice to the tears that I have shed in the act of mourning what we had…or, well, what we could have had? Why did I revert to pure science, when I was perfectly capable of acting on any sort of emotional feelings that I had…have?

But time has passed, and what could have happened…what should have happened…has been affected by a new woman in his life. He warned me that night that he had to move on, and I dumbly accepted. Though, this may be for the best, I can't help but feel the sting of pure…despair, as I wish for the return of the close friendship we shared. I wanted him back, when he was never mine to have.

Back then we were undone. Still raw from the experiences of hell we had to live through, and from there our loose ends connected. We fed off each other, and in the end repaired the other, but that repair materialized as a tight bond that we made between us, a bond that was both strong and fragile at the same time.

The same bond that sole the sanity from our hearts and minds. The same bond…that made us fall in love.

But love is a loose term; a meaningless word on the tongues of some and love holds no exceptions to my earlier statement.

Love is just another word…and words only go so far.


	74. Ghosts

**An: Well here you go. Another chapter to hold you guys off despite my busyness. I'm so sorry for not updating more stories, quicker, but I have had so much to do, and on top of that I have HOBY to write something for, along with making a resume. It's a huge honor and I'm excited to be nominated again, and since I actually have time to do this one, I hope I'll win (even though I know I will. Not to be mean or anything)**

**If you want spoilers, or updates on stories as their progressing add me on twitter!  
twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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Home becomes what you're scared of the most,  
Home becomes what you're scared of the most,  
Just what you're scared of the most._

_I'm pulling pictures off the wall,  
Watching smiles as they fall._

_ -Ghosts (Gabrielle Aplin)_

Sterile serenity is all that she has ever needed. For so long she depended only on the soft beeping of nearby machines, or the tender hum of the fluorescent lights over her head to give her comfort, and still the lab remains as her domain. The cool touch of the lab tables and the lifeless remains calm her restless mind, and with death, she is finally at ease.

She has learned to live in a cooler nature; one that is completely detached, and self preserving. She lived only for herself and the people that passed on and off her autopsy tables. But when walls started chipping away, and the erosion is compassion and dare she say, love, busted away the remains of mortar holding her sanity, an unwanted heat rushed into the freezing life she had been living.

But as welcoming as heat is to a freezing soul; the comfort is short lived, until it dissolves into numb, prickling pain.

For years she had found that comfort, and at last she was experiencing the pain. The constant, stabbing reminder, that the fire that was created by the one person she had allowed herself to truly, and utterly love, had died, and she was left to freeze once again. Her body was just starting to adjust to this new life style. Her blood was beginning to warm, and her frozen limbs were finally loosening. She was becoming human, but she took too long. How was she ever to think he would wait for the thawing of the frozen remains of a woman who had been broken way too early in life?

So, what else was she to do now, other than freeze once again?

But certain things brought back that heat that she had found solace in, and the stabbing she had felt before couldn't compare. Instead of knifes, the reminder of what she could have had felt like axes. The memories hurt more than the actual mistake, which became the soul reason that the apartment that she returned to most every night had become her hell.

She shivered as her hand clasped around her door knob, and her shoulders shook as she slid the key into the lock, and opened the torturous gates before her. The lights flashed on, and she looked upon the usual set up of her living room; gazing over the array of pictures, bookshelves, and furniture carefully decorating the space she occupied. But every neat book, and every inch of furniture bled of his presence, and the stabbing of the axes began again.

She knew by now that eventually the pain would dissolve into numbness, and her eyes closed as tight as possible to try and will that relief upon her, but she knew there was no God, and that there was no one listening. Who would listen to her? It was her mistake, was it not? Why should she be spared the consequence of the stupid decision that she made? This was her punishment, and she had to face the fact that the stabbing was never going to end…and that the pain would never turn numb.

For the rest of her days the wound will be fresh, and the pouring of her blood will never stop.

She doesn't realize, but her hands are shaking as she makes her way back towards her bedroom; her breathing hoarse and ragged from the chilling air outside. Darkness awaits her at the end of her hallway, and she welcomes it with open arms; knowing that with darkness, comes cold. But out of habit, her hand slides to the light switch and she is bathed in an enlightening that she doesn't want to experience; because her eyes lie upon two things. One a distant memory and one a printed picture.

The silver sheets she had covering her bed flashed the memory of the dream that she wrote. The story she concocted as the ideal setting that she could actually be with him. The same story she read to him, while he was in a coma.

She imagined not the words she wrote, but the image of their bodies; feeding and rocking and depending on the other. Giving and taking pleasure in a breath taking act that was completely timeless, and new all at the same time. That memory gave her warmth, and once again the axes twisted open her wounds.

The picture resting on her bedside table, though, was her real undoing. It depicted an actual moment of happiness between them that brought to her not just a soothing warmth, but a raging fire.

She couldn't tell you what day the picture was taken, or what exactly Angela was thinking when she took the picture. She couldn't tell you what they were laughing at, and she couldn't tell you exactly where they were, but anyone who had witnessed this snapshot into history, would have thought instantly that they were happy.

'_Back then we were,'_ she mused as her shaking hand took up the picture that she knew would be her demise. Her fingers passed over the arms that were locked around her waist, and at the blink of her eyes, her memory flashed to the day she remembered without a setting. She saw the passing of the ground under her as she ran from him, but then that racing picture stopped, and she felt the pressure of his arms around her abdomen as he finally captured her and pulled her tighter to his chest. Her hands had instantly rested over his wrists, and she turned back to look at him despite her tear-distorted vision that had materialized from her laughter. That was when the button was pushed, and her happiness was caught, but like a fleeting ghost she only felt sadness as she remembered, and the tears that had made their appearance were those of pure sorrow.

Her vision was blurry, and she felt light headed as her hand shook the picture vigorously in her grasp. Her fingers tightened around the frame as she tried to grab for some sort of ledge to save her sanity, but nothing came to her aid, and she threw the picture away from her as she fell into her abyss, and slowly sank to sit against the wall.

Glass shattered at the other end of the room, but no matter how hard she tried to see the damage, her tears obstructed her clarity. She fought to breathe as she tried to get away from the constant pain that blackened her blood, but as quick as a virus she was plagued, and without help.

If only she had remained frozen…


	75. Consider The Sea

**An: I am back! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while but I was supposed to be on a week long Bones fast for my friend's thesis. But I'm back now :)**

**Also, this chapter is written in Brennan's POV when she's expressing how she feels without having science to hide behind.**

**Hit up twitter for tips/update info/etc. alexosaurus(dot)twitter(dot)com**

**And last but not least, send me messages with suggestions for ANY story. :) I'd love to hear what you want to read. :)  
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Don't tell me that this is just a reason to sleep  
Compare your hands to mine and see who tried this time  
And wanting nothing more than to flee these streets  
(Live for me)  
But this is a life so consider, so consider the sea._

_ -Consider The Sea (VersaEmerge)_

The words that I write between these pages are the murals of my mind; depicting, describing, and telling of my nightmares, my dreams, my fears, my pains, and my hopes. Never once have I ever had such strong emotions that the act of compartmentalization failed, and I had to resort to ranting my thoughts to a lifeless book. The overwhelming whirlwind of consciousness has given me a sense of vertigo that not only makes me nauseous, but left me with an unsettling pressure against my chest, that could only be closely described as 'heart ache'. I wish with my whole being that I could let him read the emotions I pour into this writing, but some of the words I write between these pages are those of anger. Any anger I feel towards him is an unfair anger, and unworthy of being acknowledged.

He deserves nothing more than to be happy. I have dragged him around for a measurable five plus years, aware of our connection, but refusing to openly address it. I can only image him having this feeling every single day for years, and the sheer thought brings tears to my eyes. Booth is a strong man, but he is also very sensitive, and I can't help but wonder, on the lone nights where my thoughts can only find their way back to him, how many of his nights has he spent thinking of me? Wishing, waiting, praying, hoping, for a change of character within myself that will bring upon the realization that what we have…had between us is pure, and real.

If such a night existed, his God answered his prayers.

Hannah has been here for months, staking her claim over Booth's life and tearing him from mine thread by thread. Our trips to the Founding Fathers after an accomplished case has become few and far between. Our late night Chinese take-out meals have disappeared, and that fire that seemed to burn between us with every breath that we took has dulled into a deprived spark. His flame is with another woman. One that isn't as stupid as I have been.

As sickening as it is to admit, I never fully appreciated Booth. In no way did I NOT appreciate him, but in some way I didn't open my eyes wide enough to see just all he was willing to give me. This man so driven to love and protect, but in no way quick to open his heart to just anyone, was willing to give me his life. He was willing to give me his career, his honor, his integrity. He was willing to put me at the forefront of his priorities if so needed, and he was willing to jump on a plane and fly after me after asking him only once. I should have noticed before. That man had given me himself years ago, the only thing he was asking for _that_ night was permission to openly love me like he had been doing our whole partnership.

A great scientist is one who observes, and takes into note the smallest of details. Said scientist must always be in focus, and ready to catch the smallest of changes in a reaction. I myself have to be able to find the smallest of deadly fractures, and even though some cases cause me trouble, I never fail at solving what happened. I am observant enough to solve murders old and new, but how the hell did I let everything that he did for me casually slip by?

I fantasize of apologizing. Of going up to him and confessing that I have finally realized everything that I have done wrong, but every single time I gain enough nerve to begin to initiate that act, I think of Hannah, and the smile on his lips when he sees her walk into a room. He used to smile like that when he saw me, and who am I to disrupt something like that?

And so, I formally write my pledge; forged in ink, and unable to be undone. I will repay his sorrow by offering my own. I will sit in silence, and ignore my impulses to selfishly claim him. I recognize he once was mine, but at this moment he is no more. I will be there to congratulate him if he and Hannah decide to get married, even though I'm sure I would be numb with pain, but I will also be there for him if their relationship goes wrong, and he is once again left broken. This time, I will be the one pick up the pieces he has lost, just as he has done for me, and even still my gain will mean nothing.

If this ends in happiness, and we fall together once again, our scars will mend, blur, and disappear from our sight, our memory, our skin.

If it does not, we will always have the imprints along our hands to remind us just how hard we tried to hold onto something that was fleeting.


	76. Made Up Stories

**An: In all truth, I need some encouragement for this chapter, because I don't really think it turned out that well. :P**

**twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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So don't come back and pretend to tell me  
the night you've had with your made up stories  
I was there but you didn't see me  
there you were and the floor was empty  
you and him getting more than friendly  
it was just a kiss  
but I could see you meant it_

_ -Made Up Stories (Go:Audio)_

Darkness crept throughout the lab's sterile air, circling high and low like a growling, omnipresent dragon. Everywhere she glanced, that darkness was there, suffocating her with each gasping breath she took. Her hands clenched in her lap, and her body instinctually curled within herself as the darkness cornered her within herself. Her mind ran frantically, and her lungs heaved as she tried to grasp for oxygen, her hands starting to tremble against the clamminess of her skin and the cold sweat that was beading against her neck. Like many nights before this one, she was terrified, and like many nights before this one, she felt utterly alone.

The decomposed remains of her 'former self' had been haunting her mind for days now, the fear and realization that constantly plagued her, keeping her from a restful night's sleep. The lines under her eyes were darkening by the hour, and every time she seemed to close her eyes she would drift into a fitful nightmare that always ended in tears and a sore throat.

In her curled position, she fell into one of those nightmares.

She was locked in the trunk of that car again, using all of her strength to try and rattle the lock. She lashed and punched and clawed at the metal but nothing came to her avail. She breathed heavily in the confined space, and closed her eyes tight enough to try fight off the terror that was upping her heart rate by the second. She felt around for any sort of tool that could be used to make her escape, but the apprehension only worsened as she found nothing, and the car she was locked in lurched forward suddenly. Her lungs contracted painfully and she let out a scared scream, fighting harder and quicker to try and bust open the metal lid on what might end up being her coffin. She recoiled back as far as she could and slammed her fist into the top, the metal bending slightly, but in turn breaking the bones in her hand. She was exhausted, she was in pain, and in an emotional sense she was broken, left to die in more ways than one.

A rough hand on her shoulder jolted her awake, and her eyes widened as she tried to recognize who was beside her. A soothing voice said her name, and she finally released the shaky breath she wasn't aware she was holding. Her shoulders were shaking under the warming hand of her partner, and shame riddled her weak at the failure of informing him of all the night terrors she had been having. She felt the comforting slide of his hands across her shoulders, and one gentle pull of her in his direction had her curled against his side, her face buried against his shoulder as her small frame wracked with the sobs she refused to let loose.

She felt his nose bury into the soft strands of her hair, and the tender caresses of his fingers along her arm was enough to bring her to tears, the water falling from her eyes staining the jacket her cheek was resting against. She sniffled softly, and let her hand rise enough to wipe away the make-up that was most likely tracked down her face, light trails of black flowing along the line of her tears. Her sudden urge to preen herself brought her up and out of his arms, recognizing that, one, she must look horrible, and two, that they were sitting a little too close to each other.

She rambled her apologizes about his suit, promising to pay for cleaning and damages if she did any, as she paced around her office. She moved from her desk to her mirror in an attempt to make herself look as presentable as possible, but as she raised the tissue to dab away her tears, she caught the glimpse of a scar on her elbow, one she remembered getting when she struggled in the rusting trunk of her foster parent's car, and ended up slicing open her arm.

Her tears appeared anew, and she cursed herself internally at the never relenting pain that rolled through her existence like tidal waves. She allowed her arms to fall weakly, and her fingers softly touched the raised skin on her arm, the image of her hair line fracture coming into her line of vision as she turned to peer at the body that had finally been extricated from the dashboard to which is had melted to. She felt her world starting to spin, and her eyes closed the second Booth's hands reached for the edges of her lab coat, and softly tugged her closer to him.

Her eyes remained closed, but her breath caught in her throat when she felt his hands slide against her waist, holding her steady on her feet and against the solid brace of his torso. With each inhale their chests touched, and her shining eyes finally opened to take in the proximity they shared. The flutter of her lids brought their gazes to lock, and in the darkness that circled her, she was able to recognize the burning fire found in his charcoal eyes. The man with the lion heart was in full protection mode, running through courses of actions in his mind to find the best suitable way to make the one he loves feel better.

But did he really still love her? Was their connection still there after everything that had taken place in the time since they separated? Questions ran rampant through her mind like a disorganized deer, and immediately the shine started to disappear from her gaze, the glimmer dissolving into that of pure terror.

She started to drift backwards, but his hands tightened around her waist and pulled her back. She knocked into his chest and released a throaty whimper, her breathing now audible between the two. She felt a shiver rock up her spine as his arm circled around her back, and a soft gasp left her throat as his hand rose to tenderly touch the soft skin of her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, and with each expansion of her lungs she felt the fire underneath her skin grow. Her lips parted unconsciously, and the soft heat on her face brought her eyes to open. Her gaze fixated on the lips she had tasted many times before, and her tongue reached out to moisten her chapped skin. Anticipation wrapped around her chest, and she shot into his eyes one last pleading look, before he finally complied, and the hand at her cheek urged her close enough for his lips to press against her own.

Fireworks were a dull flicker of a candle compared to the explosion she felt within her. Fire raced up her veins, and drove her arms around his neck, her body stretching and pressing to try and be as close to him as possible. His arms tightened to lock her against him, and the soft brushing of his thumb against her cheek didn't stop as he tried to comfort them both in the loss of one another. He felt the warm drops of her tears appear once again, and his last bit of self control flew out the window the second he made the mistake to let his mouth open to her own.

The taste of her tongue brought all of the memories back tenfold. Their whole life together poured into his vision like a mob of movie images spilling from a projector. His fingers curled against her skin as he relived the days he spent loving her one after the other, until those images blurred into the days he had been living recently. The feelings he had felt back then hadn't changed, but the way he acted towards her had, and as a matter of blind reconciliation, he curled their tongues together once again, and swallowed the husky moan that had bubbled deliciously from her throat.

The same husky moan that was enough to drive away the watchful eyes of the blonde that was unknowingly lurking in the door of the lab, watching the act play out in the suffocating darkness that twisted and growled, like an omnipresent dragon.


	77. Rules Don't Stop

**An: So here is a flirty BB fic for tonight. :) Let me now what you think. :)**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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Although it may seem unconventional sometimes  
Indiscretion is worth a try  
If you just play along I promise we'll be fine  
So leave your hang-ups back at the door  
When you and I are down on the floor  
Will you know what to do about it?_

_-Rules Don't Stop (We Are Scientists)_

His eyes narrowed dangerously as the words left her lips; only _his_ name registering before the anger started to flare. There was challenge in her eyes, and he could tell she was playing him for a fool, throwing her plans in his face as if it didn't matter. The black of his pupils stretched to the edge of his irises, and he was pretty damn sure that smoke was going to fly out of his ears. Another round of her game was beginning, and like always, he was determined to win.

She listed off his commendations, telling him of his job, and how stimulating he was to talk to. She listed off his doctorates, and the physical attributes she found most…appealing, but as every word left her mouth, his smile grew bigger, and an almost evil laughter bubbled from his throat.

"So?" he grumbled, his voice silken and almost husky, as he caught the desired shiver he was hoping for rip up her spine. "When exactly are you going out with this hot shot? It can't be too late, because it sounds like he still lives with his mom and is under a pretty strict curfew."

Her fingers laced before her, and her elbows rested against the table as she leaned closer, and tilted her head to the side. Her bright eyes locked with his, and she spoke in a quite whisper, mocking his tempting tone with one of her own that she knew absolutely drove him crazy. Her foot stretched out and brushed up the side of his leg, her fingers softly brushing against the backs of his hands as her eyes kept on the stone gaze he was trying to keep from crumbling. "Now…Agent Booth, why would I give you that information? It's been in my past experiences that every time you are informed of when my dates are, you show up before hand and…preoccupy me. Sorry. I'm not telling you this time."

He watched as her hand reached out and grabbed at one of his fries, the end of the potato being dipped in ketchup before she brought it up to her mouth. His mouth started to water as her silky lips closed around the fried vegetable, and he smirked as her finger rose to wipe away the ketchup that had smeared against the corner of her mouth. One perfectly manicured nail removed the red substance, but before she could bring the digit to her lips, his strong hand circled around her wrist and brought her hand closer. His gaze never left hers, and once he knew he had her full attention, he curled his tongue around her finger, and sucked it softly into his mouth.

Her thighs tightened together under the table, and images of couplings past flashed vividly across her mind as she remembered how passionate these games always ended. She caught her breath quickly, and tried to remain unfazed as he released her wrist and allowed his fingers to tickle the inside of her palm. Her teeth softly dug into her lips, and she glanced up at him before she brought the finger he had released from his mouth into her own; her smirk rising as she tasted him, and watched his self control practically obliterate. Oh how she had won the battle, but in no way was she close to winning the war.

~*~*~*B+B*~*~

She let her fingers run through her hair as she took in the soft curls that framed her face. She brushed away her bangs and ran her fingers along the line of her smokey makeup, fixing the imperfections that brought the blue in her eyes to a blazing aquamarine. She turned to the side and trailed her hands down her front, admiring how the strappy black dress hugged her curves perfectly, and offered a delicious view of her lower back. She smirked as she pictured Booth's hand closing in on that area, the heat of his palm settled at the end of her spine where he had claimed years ago. She played with the edge of the dress that fell 6 inches over her thighs before she glanced at her watch, and made her way into her bedroom.

Her heels were waiting for her on her bed, but right before her fingers touched the leather of the strap, a soft knock echoed through her living room. Her perfectly painted lips turned upwards, and she shivered as her feet moved across her hardwood floors. Her fingers made their way into her hair once again, fluffing the strands before she opened the door, and rested her hand on her hip.

"You're cutting it a little close aren't you?" she asked as she watched his eyes roam over her attire choice. "To tell the truth, I'm a little disappointed. I would have thought you would have showed up earlier than this. Maybe you're losing your skill…"

The laugh that left his lips was evil, and sent a shock straight to her core. His eyes were dark and he looked haphazard after a hard day at work, but fire was burning under his skin, an explosion licking at the very surface of his intentions. His fingers brushed against the stubble on his cheeks, and he looked at her with a humored gaze. His hand reached out, and his fingers curled around her chin, his thumb settling against her lower lip as he stepped over her threshold, and kicked the door closed with his foot.

He smirked softly as he swiped the pad of his finger across her lip, and as he moved in to kiss her, he directed his lips to the corner of her mouth, a soft chuckle rising from his chest as she growled softly and reached out to latch onto the edges of his leather jacket. The grasp against her chin held her still as he pulled back, and he smirked at her softly. His thumb traced the edges of her mouth and he allowed his lips to place a kiss to her forehead before he dropped his hand from her face completely.

He stepped back enough to rest against the arm of her chair, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked her up and down. He rotated his finger in the air, and smiled devilishly as she ruefully complied, and turned so he could see the whole dress. He narrowed in on the opening at her lower back, and a soft laugh left his throat as he picked apart the thoughts she had conjured up minutes before.

"You look beautiful Bones," he whispered, his arms falling open as she walked closer to him, and stepped between his legs. He reached behind her and allowed his fingers to barely brush against her spine, while his lips kissed the gooseflesh that rose against her arms. "_Very_ beautiful."

"Your actions portray otherwise," she muttered as she softly brushed her fingers through his hair. "Why won't you kiss me?"

The corners of his mouth turned up, and his eyes immediately turned towards the door as three quick knocks reverberated off the walls. He looked up into her eyes, and glanced to her lips one last time, before he stood and pressed his lips to her temple. "Because, Bones. I just told you, you look beautiful. Why would I purposefully mess that up for the lucky man tonight?"

"Oh you bastard," Brennan growled, her smile that of defeat. "That's why you were so late."

"Hey doll, what fun would these games be if I didn't get to play a few tricks on you?" he asked, his fingers softly brushing against the bare skin of her back once again, before he moved towards her front door and grasped the knob in his hand. "Have fun with Dr. Nerds-A-Lot, but…I only have one preference to ask of you."

"Oh and what is that?" she asked as her arms crossed over her chest, and another rain of knocks fell on the door.

"When you show up at my door later tonight…make sure you're makeup is exactly as it is. I always enjoy going through my work shirts and seeing your lipstick stains on my collar. It gives me a sense of…satisfaction," he confessed, his laugh engraving itself in her mind as he opened the door to her date of the night. He turned to the relatively good looking man and clapped him on the shoulder, before he turned and shot a teasing look in her direction. "See you later Bones."

"Uh…Temperance?" her date asked, as he noticed how the air in the room practically buzzed around her. "Who was that?"

"My partner," she answered, semi-truthfully. "But you don't have to worry about him. He was just here to give me some…information."


	78. We Wear The Mask

**An: Okay so this song is an English project made my the band TeraBrite. It's a creative presentation of a poem, and obviously they chose We Wear The Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar. I've never heard this poem before, but now I'm in love with it. I'm actually pretty sure I want a few of these lyrics tattooed when I'm 18. Haha!**

**As always, leave your comments, because I don't really know how well this really turned out :P**

**twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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We wear the mask that grins and lies  
(We wear the mask that grins and lies)  
It hides our cheek and shades our eyes  
(It hides our cheek and shades our eyes)  
This debt we pay to human guile  
(This debt we pay to human guile)  
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile._

_Why should the world be overwise  
In counting all our tears and sighs  
(Counting all our tears and sighs)  
Nay,  
let them only see us while we wear the mask.  
We wear the mask._

_ -We Wear The Mask (TeraBrite)_

His mouth gaped open as he caught the flicker in her eyes. His breath escaped from him in self hatred as he stared into the crack of her façade and saw just how tortured she felt inside. He could see within her eyes that the shine he had been admiring was from shed tears. He could see the betrayal and abandonment she felt, and deeper within her, he could see the remains of her broken heart.

He tried to form words, but nothing came to his aid, and he was forced to watch as she once again retreated from him. He was astounded, amazed, horrified, and breathless as he turned towards the platform in search of support. He locked gazes with the other scientists, and felt that knot in his gut tighten further when their eyes duck to their hands, and refuse to further push the fact that he hadn't been paying attention.

Angela's hands were shaking within the pocket of her lab coat, and in a last minute decision, she made her way down the steps after her best friend.

"Angie!" her husband called from behind her. "Where are you going?"

"I need to help her," the artist muttered fiercely, casting a side glance at the man who was still standing in shock at the foot of the metallic steps. "No one else seems to want the handle the job anymore…"

"Angela," Booth whispered helplessly. "Please don't do this to me."

"Why shouldn't I?" she fired back instantly, her body tense and her eyes blazing as pure hatred radiated from her body. "After what you did to her, you're lucky I haven't killed you yet. Do you realize exactly how much pain you have put her through in the past couple of months?"

"I…No! But Angela, how was I supposed to know that she felt like that? She's been compartmentalizing since she's been born!"

Fire red tinted brown eyes widened, and delicate lips parted against the horror she recognized within the words. Her hands tightened in front of her, and she forced her fingers together to keep from digging her nails into the sensitive skin of his throat. "I can't believe you just said that," she muttered ruefully. "How many times throughout the years have you been the first person to defend her to some idiotic party? How many times, have you assured her that she's more than a compartmentalizing robot? Do you not realize that when she's around you she feels human? And that any other time she believes that she's still the cold hearted bitch everyone makes her out to be?"

"How could I have known that Ange? She hasn't talked to me for weeks."

"Because you aren't making the effort anymore. The only reason you got so close to her in the first place was that after everything that happened between you two, you came back. Tell me one instance in her life that that has EVER happened."

The agent before her bristled and brown eyes clashed as they fought for dominance over the subject. The artist could see the turmoil in the agent's eyes, and she wished for nothing more than to give him mercy. But her protective nature told her otherwise, and she was forced to press forward.

"See. You don't realize this, but that woman has been living with a mask over her eyes for her whole entire life. She doesn't want to reveal her real self to anyone because she is single handedly the most complex human being in the world. She plays this act over and over again, perfecting how to pretend. For the past couple of months you've thought she was fine, but…in reality…she's anything but. I stayed with her one night, a couple of weeks ago, and I wish you could have heard what I heard. I wish you could have heard how violent she screams when she wakes up from her nightmares, and I wish you could have heard her whimper your name, hoping that for once you would be there. But every night she wakes up disappointed. You're not there for her anymore, and I don't think you know how hard it is to have life constantly remind you that the one person who is constantly plaguing your mind is practically off limits."

Angela felt her throat tighten as she spoke, and she forced herself to take a deep breath. She looked into Booth's eyes, and shook her head as she saw him close to tears. She knew he was envisioning the screams and thrashing brought upon by her nightmares, as well as the tears and nights of heartbreak that reality struck upon her. In his mind, she could tell he was placing him in that scene, wondering how everything would be different if he could be there just one time.

"Booth. I love you, and I'm happy for you. So is Brennan, but…you can't pretend that your happiness isn't killing her. Those seven months away from you tore her heart raw…and then she had to come back to see another woman in your arms. She feels worthless now, an empty shell of whatever you were helping her become. Ever since you met Hannah you forgot who Brennan really was, and now she doubts if that person ever existed," stray tears escaped from Angela eyes, and with a quick hand she palmed them away. Her throat physically hurt, and with a final breath, she took a step back and locked gazes once again.

"I would never want to jeopardize your happiness Booth, and I would never want to drive you to pity Brennan, but I advise that you…fix this. It won't be an easy process, because you single handedly rebuilt the walls you spent years knocking down."

"Angela?" he called, stilling her backwards retreat. A small smile spread across his lips, and he willed with his whole being that she understood the semi-cryptic question he felt compelled to ask. "When would be a good time to start?"

A small smile enlightened the artist's face, and she looked down to her clasped hands before she looked up to him once again. Her eyes flickered to the others listening to the conversation, and on the inhale of a slow breath, she paused and breathed out the sacred answer.

"1:24…They always start at 1:24."


	79. Out Of Time

**AN: CAN YOU SAY NEW A DAY TO REMEMBER ALBUM! :) I'm so excited that they have released 'What Separates Me From You' because that means two things. 1. New awesome songs to rock out too. 2. More chapters for this story. :) As if I really need more. XD bahaha**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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* * *

I've never felt the way I feel tonight  
Your words made everything drag on, and on  
I finally found her, and when I did I just couldn't make things right  
Is this really happening, oh god I think I just ruined my life_

_What the fuck am I doing?  
I can't tell the difference from wrong and right  
I can guess my decisions  
cause I haven't been this person in my whole life  
I think I need something new here  
When I keep longing for what I had  
No need for second opinions  
I do the best I can to ruin what I have  
come on_

_Don't think you've got to go in alone here  
I've got nothing left to hide  
your dying just make up your mind_

_I thought this was what you wanted  
Someone who gets everything right (Gets everything right)  
I thought this was what you wanted  
Someone to put you first in their life  
Cause we're running out of time_

_ -Out Of Time (A Day To Remember)_

Alcohol can slice through his veins, but his mind will remain clear. No matter how many glasses of vile, self destruction he knocks back, it does nothing to destruct his thoughts. He could spend hours on this worn bar seat, tracing the sticky bar top with a nonchalant finger, asking for refill after refill, and still he will hold the memories. He could try all he wants, but no matter how drunk he tries to get…thinking of her will always keep him sober.

Because she is the embodiment of everything that is good. When he was with her…for all of those years, he never indulged in the things he used to. Because of her he quit gambling, he rarely got drunk, and cigars…forget it. When he was with her, he was healthy-physically and mentally…most of the time. Sure, there were times when she drove him to the brink of insanity, but even through the hell she bestowed upon him, she was there to at least coach him through it.

He didn't realize that when he made a silent promise to always be there for her, she had done the same.

And now, because of that promise, she was suffering.

For months he had repeatedly stabbed her heart, claiming that he didn't know she could feel. He felt sick to his stomach as he recalled all the times he could see that flicker of pain in her eyes, but did nothing to make it better. He had spent years comforting her through the hard times in her life, and now, in possibly the hardest point, he left her for the wolves.

His fingers raked through his hair, and he drank the last of his scotch, discarding the glass and his attempts to clear his mind. He could see dark clouds looming on the horizon, and the flashing lights of an airplane. The same plane that Hannah was most likely on, as she embarked back to a war zone, and away from him.

'_I've ruined my life' _

He's a wrecking ball; ready to tear down anything good in his life without a second thought. He jumps into things without thinking, and works only for the benefits of himself. He is a selfish, horrible man, and he wishes he could slam his fist into a gigantic undo button. He wishes he could take back everything, and go back to how life used to be.

He wishes he hadn't met Hannah, only for Brennan's sake, and he wishes he didn't go back to Afghanistan. He wishes he would have stopped her from going to Indonesia, and he wishes he didn't bring up their relationship that damn night. He wishes he didn't feel like she was the best thing to ever happen to him, because lord knows she is. He wishes he never fell in love with her. He wishes he was numb.

He sits outside; watching as the night sky and the Washington Monument is reflected in the shallow pool stretched in front of him. Cool air rushes through the trees and buffers at his jacket, sucking the warmth from him inside and out. Blood flows from his limbs, and body heat is soon replaced with a tingling chill. His skin pales, and the ends of his fingers turn red before the shivering sets in. His teeth chatter and he instinctually curls closer to himself, his eyes closing as he tries to will back the one thing he wished away.

He practically wants to cry when he hears the familiar sound of her boots gently tapping against the marble steps. His breathing escalates as he hears her near, and that soft whimper of self doubt leaves his throat when a warm blanket is draped around his shoulders. He feels his body start to heat up as she sits beside him and loops her arm in his. She rests her hand on his wrist, and as if it was second nature, their fingers lace together, and she remains pressed close to him.

"I'm sorry," she speaks quietly, her head coming to rest against his shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he whimpered out softly. "You did nothing wrong. I should be the one apologizing."

"For trying to find happiness?" she asked, the soft skin of her fingers soothing him as they brushed against the frigid flesh of his hand. "No. You shouldn't apologize. We should just, forget about the past, and look towards the future."

"The future? I'm scared of the future. Everything good that happens to me, I end up finding a way to mess it up. I can't tell the difference between wrong and right anymore, because everything just…it bleeds together. I can't tell anymore…I can't tell."

She let her head come off his shoulder, and the hand at his wrist rose to softly touch his chin. She held his gaze, and a soft sigh accompanied the fear she wished she could pull from him. She could see him on the borderline of tears, and with a last swipe of her thumb against his cheek, she leaned forward enough to press her lips to his.

The kiss was nothing spectacular. It didn't snake the Earth beneath them, or send meteors falling from the heavens. No, it was just a simple kiss, meant to make him feel better. It was the act of her giving some of herself to him, just like he had done so many times in the years before.

"You're going to stay with me tonight," she ordered softly. "You shouldn't be alone."

"I deserve to be alone."

"No one deserves to be alone...you taught me that," she countered, as she stood up before him, and grasped his hands to help him to his feet. He stood tall before her, and as the air condensed before his mouth, and a small puff of smoke left his lungs, he tilted closer and wrapped his arms around her; practically crushing her small body against his. He buried his nose in her hair and shook as her arms circled around his shoulders, and kept a tight hold around him.

"Thank you Bones, for everything you do for me."


	80. Hands

**An: So I was listening to this song on the way home from the Highlands, and specifically heard 'One last thing before I go' and immediate thought of the upcoming Brennan-Centric episode. That's where this whole thing materialized. Now the ending confession...it wasn't what I originally thought, because I can't remember what I thought prior to writing this, but I still get the point across. :D**

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* * *

I'm not afraid  
To make big mistakes  
I'm not afraid  
To fall flat on my face  
I need to get this looked at  
Need to get this looked at  
I need some time to think  
About what I've done  
Oh!  
One last thing before I go_

_ -Hands (The Almost)_

"I'm telling you Dr. Brennan," Security Guard Micah Leggat said as he leaned more of his weight against his heels. "You need to cut loose."

"I…I know I need to," Brennan whispered, her arms tightening around her thinning frame. "But, how do I? I don't know how to 'cut loose'. I've been living my life in this…protective shell since I was a child. That isn't something I can change easily."

"No, I know that," he assured in a soft, fatherly tone of voice. "You need to start by taking more chances. Don't take the safe way out; take the way that makes you happy. The first thing that you should wonder in the morning is 'Am I happy?'."

"And what if I'm not?"

"Then do something to change that. Now, Dr. Brennan, I've been here longer than you have, and I haven't just been blindly moseying around. I've been friends with this team for years, and I've watched all of your relationships bloom. Now, saying that, I'm sure I don't have to further explain my point. We both know what will really make you happy, and you are the only person that is ever going to make that possible."

"Micah, you've seen him recently. The first thing I wonder in the morning is if he is happy, and right now he is. I'm not going to disrupt that…but, after this case, life seems so much shorter. I just…I don't know what to do."

"Yes you do," Micah assured, his hand reaching out to envelope her own. "I know you do. I can see it written on your face."

A small smile quirked on her lips, and she lowered her head as she accepted the colloquialisms she had understood for years. She knew the hurt she could feel deep within her chest was still telegraphed through her eyes, but she was sure the hope shined through as well. She felt renewed, bitterly renewed, and her fingers itched for her to inscribe what she knew she needed to.

"Go," he whispered. "Go do what you have to do, and then head home. You've had a hard time this past week. Take a few days off and relax."

"I will," Brennan promised, a smile on her face as her hand fell back to her side. She stepped closer to Micah, and wrapped her arms around him; hugging him tightly for a short moment, before stepping back into her composed self. "Thank you. You've been a great friend that I've needed for quite some time now."

"Get going Dr. Brennan," Micah smiled as he started moving backwards. "There's no time to waste, remember?"

"Right, thank you," she finished, waving to him before she ducked her hand into the bag near her hip, and pulled out a ripped piece of paper. She sighed and brushed her bangs nervously; her palms starting to sweat as she pulled a pen into her grasp. Her declaration was simple, but in the few words she wanted to write before her, held such a powerful, painful history. In the select sentence she was going to write, she was summing up what had accumulated from that very first case.

She didn't know exactly how she felt on the matter, but she knew that the words she was to write were true, and that's all that really mattered at that point.

~*~*~B+B~*~*~

The sound of her heels on the metal floors had been imprinted in her mind long ago. It didn't matter what she wore, or how she walked, Angela was always able to tell when her best friend coming close to her office, and as she quickly glanced at the clock, she was glad that Brennan was moving from her office at a semi-reasonable hour.

"Sweetie," she greeted, as she looked up from the reconstruction she had done earlier. She could see deep in her friends eyes the hurt that had refused to leave over the past months, but she also recognized anxiety, and slight fear. The need to comfort boiled her blood, and she quickly rose to her feet to meet the anthropologist slowly making her way closer. "Bren, what's wrong?"

"This case has…shown me that a lot of things are wrong, Ange," Brennan whispered, as her fingers toyed with the edges of the folded up piece of paper that she held tight in her grasp. "And this is my first step in trying to fix everything."

"Brennan, why are you talking like that? You're really freaking me out."

"Ange, you have nothing to worry about. I just…I have a favor to ask of you."

"What kind of favor?"

"I just…I need you to hold something for me."

She quirked a perfected eyebrow at her friend, and her eyes narrowed as Brennan extended the piece of paper towards her. It was folded tightly, with Booth's name scripted beautifully on the front. A frown colored her face, and her eyes rose to Brennan for an explanation she could tell was hard to admit.

"Ange, you know me. You know how I've felt during this case. I just, I need you to hold this for me," Brennan pleaded, as her fingers laced tightly before her.

"Hold it until when?"

"I want you to hold this for him…until…if…ever something happens."

"Something?"

"Angela…if ever something happens to me…if I get hurt, or killed…if you personally think he needs to know…I want you to give this to him," she explained, as her hand rose to the strap resting on her shoulder. "I don't know what is going to happen in the future, and I truthfully don't know if I'll ever be able to vocalize what is written on that paper, but I give you full permission to read what I wrote, and I entrust you with the responsibility of giving this to him when needed."

"Bren, that's…a lot to entrust on one person," Ange muttered, as her fingers passed over the handwriting on the front.

"I know, and that's exactly why I gave it to you," Brennan whispered, as she flashed her friend one last sad smile, and made her way from her office.

The artist stayed in the place she held, listening as her best friend's heels disappeared behind the sliding glass doors at the front of the lab. She sighed softly, and her hand instinctually came to her still rounding stomach. She didn't know whether she should read what her friend wrote or not, but by the lack of information that was provided for her, she felt the need that she had to.

If a lock could be placed upon folded paper, she was sure one was present, as she peeled back the perfectly folded confession. It felt heavy with secrecy, and she felt as if she was betraying her best friend for reading what was written. But as her eyes roved over the simple sentence, scrawled perfectly across one single line, a depressing sadness quickly followed the rush of realization.

'_I love you, so much more than I could ever physically demonstrate, or emotionally substantiate.'_

"Oh Bren…"


	81. Control

**An: Yeah I know...this is never going to happen. "Booth's a good man. He would NEVER cheat on someone."...well I can dream can't I?**

**Twit shit (hahah that's clever, I might use that more often) : twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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* * *

Whoa, I feel just like we're taking control  
Of the night, of the night, yeah-yeah  
Whoa, I feel just like we're losing control  
But if you let go, I'll let go tonight_

_Another minute lived  
If you take me I'll take what you will give  
I was late and she kept waiting  
But I hope she knows where I've been_

_ -Control (Metro Station)_

It was late, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as she watched the rain fall outside. The sheets at her hips felt like briers against her anxious skin, and once again, her eyes turned towards the phone resting ominously at her side. Her fingers had passed over the cool metal and plastic time and time again, but she had talked herself out of calling him each opportunity over. In truth, she was worried, and with each change of the digits on the clock beside her, her heart beat increased.

She couldn't picture where he could be. All she knew was that he was worried about _Bones_...and had to find out if something was wrong. She didn't know how long he was going to be, but as a half hour droned into three...she couldn't control her impulses.

Her phone was like her drug, and she was an addict. The touch of the cool device to her palm felt empowering, and her quick fingers rolled easily over the touch screen. His picture and name popped up before her eyes; her finger easily slipping to speaker phone, so that she could look upon the face of the man she was desperate to find.

But to her dismay...he didn't answer.

At first, she accepted it. She had noticed that Brennan seemed out of sorts, and she was sure that Booth was there consoling her, trying to discover what had her so out of touch with herself. After another fifteen minutes departed, she tried again, and was once again met with voicemail.

Throughout the hour, she tried seven different times, and each time she heard nothing. The rain was tearing from the heaven's heavier than it had been before, and soon her attention became directed towards her keys. Thunder rolled through the ebony skies, and lightning seemed to highlight the metallic carvings. She could always drive over to Brennan's house and see if he was there, but once she looked at the clock, and discovered that it was nearly two in the morning, the thought was dispelled.

She would wait...holding a vigil, until she either fell asleep, or he walked through their bedroom door.

The lightning fired again, cutting across the room, and the thunder released a throaty cry. She thought it was a natural amplification of her anger, while...in other parts of the city...it was a silencer of the pleasured screams rattling through the air.

Neither of them knew how it happened, but the second that he had gotten her to stop crying, he felt the instincts of protecting her flood his body with full force. He clearly remembered escorting her into her house, and he remembered wrapping a blanket around her to keep her warm, but the events preceding that one, seemed to bleed into a messy blur.

He could picture her, standing before him with tears in her eyes. Her body was quaking, and her fingers were nervously working at the hem of the shirt that had become uncomfortable with the weight of rain water. She was cold, hurt, wet, and shivering, and it seemed all he could do was wrap his arms around her, and refuse to let her go.

He didn't know if it was minutes until he let go, or hours, but the second he did, his fingers traced the line of buttons down her shirt. He could tell she was uncomfortable, and as soon as he moved away those first few buttons, he was sure the quiver in her stomach had turned from that of a cool body temperature to an overdose of lust.

In her eyes, she felt alone. She exclaimed to him that she had her regrets; that she missed her chance. But in his mind, he knew that wasn't true. On this rainy night, he didn't think about the woman in his bed, waiting for his return.

No, on this rainy night, he set off to teach one heart crushed anthropologist how it really felt to be worshiped by a man who could never physically stop loving her. On this rainy night he took control, by completely annihilating any prior understanding of the physics present between two people. On this rainy night, two people fell in love all over again, and were reminded about exactly why they could never fall out of love in the first place.


	82. Candy Land Wedding

**An: No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't turn this into a huge, BB resolution fic. Instead it turned out to be just a...conversation...holding of some particular emotion.**

**I don't know, I think it's crap.**

**Twit shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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* * *

And I found you in the ocean blue, fake sky  
Rosy colored bones poke through  
And I can never write a lullaby for you, for you_

_Do it man best you can  
Driver is in the hippie van  
Diamonds in my other hand I can't believe it's happening'_

_ -Candy Land Wedding (Kill Paradise)_

He felt as if he was a shell of his former self as he stood before her door. The dark oak was just another obstacle he was supposed to jump over in life, and his shoulders slumped in fatigue. His fingers hooked into the bow tie at his neck, and with only a soft use of his knuckles, he called attention to his presence.

He didn't know if she would answer, and he didn't know truthfully, if he wanted her to. He felt as if his burdens, regrets, and mistakes were plainly tattooed into his skin for everyone to experience; pain, in turn, being tattooed within him as those burdens, regrets, and mistakes started to take a play in his daily life. The shell he represented was a crumbling one, and the second he heard the door knob turn, he realized exactly how broken he was.

"What are you doing here?" It was a greeting he never heard from her. Even if she was mad at him she would allow him a cold, silent entrance. He looked deep into her eyes and saw them completely drained. She looked tired, weak, and sickly thin. The FBI shirt he had left at her house years before had become even looser on her shoulders, and her sweatpants seemed to barely hold onto her hips. Yeah…he was selfish.

"Can I come in?"

"I thought you were supposed to be at a wedding," she grumbled, her body tensing at her words even as she moved to the side to let him inside.

"Yeah, I know I was," he muttered; his hands running down his face. "But I ran out."

"Why?" her voice was genuine concern, but also highlighted with a slight twinge of repressed happiness.

"Can we get a beer first?" he asked, glancing at her eyes for the affirmative, before he timidly reached out and grabbed her hand. He led her into her kitchen, and retrieved a beer for the both of them before he led her to her couch. He settled down and rested his head back; rubbing his hand against his neck as she sat close to his side. They sat in silence, but eventually he felt the words push further against his throat, forcing their way out. "I ran out…because I just…couldn't get married."

"I thought you wanted to get married," she whispered, bringing the cool bottle to her lips. "You want the American Dream."

"That's what I thought I wanted," he confessed as his fingers ran over the condensation materializing before him. "But…I guess not. I mean, I could have had that with Hannah, but...once I touched her ring…everything just clicked off. I ran into our relationship on accident, and was stupid enough to think that it was anything real."

"But, you love her don't you?"

"Yeah Bones, I do."

"Then, shouldn't that be enough?"

"I love you," he stated as his eyes swiveled, and caught her own. "Was that enough?"

"It would have been," she answered after the initial shock dulled down. "Had you said those words clearly. You should know by now that I can't pick up on context clues very well."

"Would have been?"

"Yes. The past…"

"Why?"

"You're still with Hannah as far as I'm concerned."

"Bones, I ran out on our wedding because for years, every time I pictured a wedding, it was with you. I imagined weddings big and small; huge events, and even eloping in Vegas. I told you last year that you are my standard, and that applies for just about everything," frothy, amber liquid rolled down his throat, and a sigh left his lungs. He looked at her to gauge a reaction, but her finger was methodically circling the rim of her bottle. He could see the gears in her head rotating, but her face remained a stone cast. "I'm sorry Bones. I shouldn't be unloading all of this stuff on you."

"No," her reply was quick, as if she had been desperately praying for the words he spoke to her. "No…it's refreshing to…finally have some answers. Truthfully, I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry that my place in your life has caused you misfortune. I…I just want you to be happy."

"You're the only person I've ever been happy around."

"What about-"

"No…everyone else was just…a filler. I was content, at peace, but never happy."

"Then why did everything fall apart?" she whispered, resting her head on the wrist she had settled against the back of her couch. "If we were so happy to be around each other…why couldn't we take that a step forward?"

"Fear," he muttered. "Fear of losing that happiness that we as humans are so addicted to."

"To fear," she grumbled, smiling with him before they touched their bottles together, and brought the slightly warming serum into their bodies.

"Yeah…to fear."


	83. I Lost Her

**An: Much to my dismay...youtube has screwed me over once again...I found another band. *facepalm*  
Expect more music fics from them...**

**Twit shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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* * *

There's a hole in my heart  
which you used to get your air  
It won't beat again for at least another year  
You cut it out yourself, so you won't suffocate in there  
Your patience is losing to your fear  
I lost her_

_ -I Lost Her (Brighten)_

In the fog of the early morning, a man was awoken by a loudly vibrating cell phone. The sound pierced through the haze of his sleep, and he growled as he slammed his fist over the device. He prayed his hand would do enough to silence the annoying sound, but the device refused to quiet. He sat up with slumped shoulders; his body cold from the lack of body heat on the other side of the bed, but he was used to the feeling by now. Hannah had been gone for over a month, and he had woken up alone for years before her.

His eyes squinted as the light from his phone shined into his eyes. The text before him was blurred, and pain settled behind his gaze, before his vision cleared, and he was able to read the reminder before him. In his hand, his phone was vibrating wildly to remind him that today was the one year anniversary that he and his partner departed for different ends of the world.

He felt stupid as he quickly stood up and got dressed, but in his heart, he felt the need. He promised her, and that was enough for him.

~*~*B+B*~*~

The air was cold as she settled in their usual bench. The darkness of the dawn sky was reflected perfectly in the water before her, and the trees rustled as the wind rushed by her with her sigh. She didn't understand why she was sitting here, but an overwhelming need seemed to possess her into waking up early to sit in the cold. The coffee cart had been abandoned for the night beside her, and as the sun started to crawl higher into the sky, a nervous fear settled in her chest.

Sadness riddled her bones as she remembered the promise she gave him a year ago from today, and desperately she wished that she could go back to that time. She had told him before that she had regrets, but in no way possible, could he ever begin to imagine everything that she would do over. If she had another chance to stand before him in that airport, she wouldn't have allowed him to release her hand. She would have held on, and begged for him not to leave. If she had another chance to talk to him about leaving once again, she would have told him that she would stay, as long as he would. If she just had a single chance, to do something over…she would have never said no.

"You might not want to think so hard this early in the morning Bones," he whispered from behind her, a smile on his face as she jumped from her reverie. "I know I need at least a little bit of caffeine before my brain starts to function."

A smile rose to her lips as he handed the coffee cup to her, and she offered her thanks by moving over for him to settle down beside her. His body was warm as their sides molded together, and they shared a moment of silence, while she took the opportunity to warm her insides.

"How long have you been out here?" he asked softly, noticing the slight quiver that had taken place within her shoulders.

"I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "Maybe an hour, maybe two."

"Phone alarm?"

"Yes. You?"

"Yeah, but…I'm glad I put it in my phone once I got to the base," he whispered. "I've missed you Bones, and meeting with you here…this feels normal."

"Like it used to be," she replied; her throat full and pained, as she tried to keep the tears behind her eyes at bay. "And for the record…I've missed you too."

"Then, why don't we work on that?" he asked. "I have many things I need to repair, and I just…I need to know that it'll be alright with you. I want things to be like they used to be Bones. I need my best friend back."

Her chest contracted painfully, and tears rolled easily down the chilled skin of her cheeks. Her first instinct was the run from him, but the sheer thought of doing so made her tired, and she refused. Her eyes closed against her thoughts, and unconsciously her body shifted so that her arm could loop with his own. She turned into him, and rested her head on his shoulder; a smile once again blooming on her face as his fingers laced with her own, and his cheek rested against her head.

"I'm taking this as a yes?" he whispered, turning his nose into her hair, and allowing his lips to place a soft kiss against her temple.

"Yes," her voice was a gasp, affected terribly by the flip of her stomach caused by the feel of his lips against her skin. "Also, Booth, you should know that you never lost me. I was just…misplaced…because I only wanted you to be happy."

"I am happy," he promised; his lips engraving his promise as another kiss against her temple. "I have an idea."

"And what would your idea consist of?"

"This is our place," he said, with a tap of his knuckles against the arm of the bench enunciating his point. "It's…special to us. It's sacred, and I think we should visit it more often. How about that, every year on this day, we meet here…on the mall, by the-"

"Coffee cart," she smirked as she played along with his game, and looked up into his shining brown eyes. His face was alight with his smile, and once again that contraction in her chest made its presence know, but this time it wasn't so sore. The pain, didn't fell like pain at all. It only felt like pressure, as if her body was reminding her that the normal actions of her heart were affected when he was around. Heat flowed rapidly throughout her body, and her chest contracted once again as his lips descended to her forehead. She felt as though each touch of his lips was an apology for neglecting to do so in the past, and once he had moved far enough away for her to look up, she let her fingers softly grasp his chin, and bring their lips together in a soft kiss.

The kiss was just a touch of their lips, but it was enough to bring the world around them to a shake. The soft squeeze of their hands was enough to communicate what they had to say. She returned her head to his shoulder, and they spent another hour of their morning simply sitting beside each other; happy that they finally had each other back in their lives.


	84. Is Anybody Out There?

**An: Alright, here is another chappy. And I threw in some Latin just for Katie. :D**

**twit shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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Stand in line like military time  
Flowers blooming up from dirt  
Wear the ties and complicated lines  
There's wrinkles on a fresh-pressed shirt_

_He stands alone, conforming on his own  
He's thinking but he does not speak  
He tries to fight the edges on his mind  
But she is what he truly seeks, but she is what he truly seeks_

_ -Is Anybody Out There? (The Downtown Fiction)_

His eyes danced around the elegant dance hall that enclosed him. The annual Winter Ball was always one of his favorites, not necessarily for the conversations with the multiple dull men around him, but for the decorations that circled the room. Winter was his favorite season, and seeing the room decorated to portray the falling of magnificent icicles from the ceiling made his chest blaze with heat. A towering white Christmas tree stood at the end of the room, and between him and that tree, everything blazed with the crystalline white shine of snow. The room around him was beautiful, but once his eyes settled on her, his breath left him in appreciation.

He was standing in a line with other men, drinking and making meager conversation about nothing important. They talked about alcohol, 'war' stories, women, and sex, trying to gain leverage over the other, but he remained silent. His eyes were fixated solely on her, and in his mind, he contemplated his approach. He wasn't sure whether to walk straight up to her, or make his way around the towering Christmas tree to surprise her from behind. As resolution settled in his mind, he brought the glass of fancy champagne to his lips once more, and smoothly deposited his empty glass for a fresh one, before he stepped from the line of men.

"Where are you headed Seel?" one of the men asked, tilting his head up in curiosity.

"There is a gorgeous woman who just arrived, and I want to be the first to greet her," he teased as he held up the glass once more, and turned from the crowd. He could feel their eyes on his back, and hear their chuckles in his ears, but it didn't matter. As he rounded behind the large center attraction at the end of the room, he stuck to the shadows until he could clearly hear her voice. The woman beside her touched her arm softly as she set off for the bar, and before she had the chance to step away, he moved close and let his arm circle her enough so that his hand could settle on her stomach.

He felt her jump in his arms, and with ease he stretched the champagne glass towards her. She smiled at him over her shoulder, and let her dainty fingers grasp the neck of the glass. "Thank you," she whispered quietly, as she let her body sink back against his chest while his arm tightened around her midsection.

"Can I say you look absolutely pulchritudinous this evening?"

"I'm guessing you learned a new word today," she smirked, softly sipping at the glass in her hand as she felt him chuckle against her neck.

"A wonderful observation, Dr. Brennan."

"Well, saying I was beautiful or gorgeous would have sufficed perfectly."

"How about angelic?"

"Adequately put," she assured; her fingers dancing across his arm in time with the music playing from the orchestra. "Angela did a wonderful job in designing the decorations tonight."

"She did," he agreed; his lips tenderly tasting the skin on her shoulder that was revealed by her dress. "I think everything looks phenomenal."

She laughed softly, and her hand rose to brush away the bangs that fell into her face. "Every time you are placed in a bow tie your vocabulary rises into the realms of a Harvard professor."

"I study before I come here," he teased, playing with her fingers softly. "I have to make sure I am impressive enough to be by your side at big functions like this."

"Have you ever thought that maybe I don't want an impressive professional by my side?" she asked; lacing their fingers together and smiling as she let her thumb drift over the golden band sitting on his finger. "I'm pretty sure I didn't marry a professional."

"And who exactly did you marry?"

"A goofy F.B.I. agent with a lion heart and a very playful attitude," she explained, tracing the Latin words _'Amor vincit omnia' _they both had engraved in their wedding rings. "There are enough people here that are boring and have genius minds. I prefer being with someone fun, who's here to have a good time, instead of compete in a scholastic competition."

"Then, will you be kind enough to grace me with a dance?" he asked, smoothly spinning her out of his grasp. "I find that if we orient ourselves completely with each other, we most likely won't be pulled away by some snobby group of people waiting to brag about something."

"Well, if that is so," she spoke, before she finished the last of the champagne in her glass, and sat it on one of the passing trays. "Then I would love to."

He led her towards the dance floor, and in the midst of multiple other spinning couples, he pulled her to his chest. He held their joined hands near his heart, and he allowed his free hand to trail up and down her spine; smiling as a shiver ripped through her body at the contact of his fingers against her bare skin. They swayed sensually back and forth, allowing the music to wrap around their bodies while their lips brushed against each others' skin in soft, barely there kisses.

"How about we head home?" he asked tenderly, letting his palm settle on her lower back. "I believe we have a fireplace and a bottle of Pinot Noir waiting for us."

"Sex in a bottle," she teased, laughing as she kissed right beside his ear. "Sounds perfect," she finished as her hands fell into his grasp, and she walked backwards towards the large double doors leading to the stairs that headed to the parking lot outside.

"Lucky bastard," one of the men said, as they remained still in their line. "Married for five years and they still have enough sex to give a college couple a run for their money."

"It happens Jensen, might as well get over it now."


	85. Still Here

**An: Hey, even I need a happy lift. :D**

**Twit shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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She looks out the window  
Watches the wind blow  
Wondering where it goes  
Her whole life's here, every dream and every fear  
But will she ever know?_

_That I heard her footsteps in the hall  
Heard her head against the wall  
Saw her dreams they took a fall,  
Is there any hope at all?_

_So take a little time and wonder why your life is still stuck here  
Time will pass you by so you should try to figure out why you're still here_

_ -Still Here (The Undeserving)_

With each falling drop of moisture from her gorgeous blue eyes, he felt his heart crack further. Curse this woman, who could have him wrapped around her finger, even when he belonged to another. Curse this woman, that with ever sob that left her throat, his fingers tightened around his steering wheel just to keep himself from touching her. Curse this woman that he couldn't stop loving, even though he was trying so terribly hard to do so. Sure, a part of him wondered why this time he was telling her 'no', but he had to remind himself that he had Hannah. He loved her.

He felt pathetic as he watched her slip from her seat in his SUV, nodding to him, and thanking him quietly before shutting the door and letting her lithe, shivering body get pelted by the rain. He watched as her arms circled her body, and, not for the first time in his life, he wished it was his arms trying to comfort her. He felt the pull in his chest towards her, and his hands shook as he decided what to do.

Should he go home to Hannah? Or should he follow her, and refuse to let her accept she was alone?

~*~*B+B*~*~

She wasn't numb, but she was close.

Instead, she felt raw…empty…hollow…sad…but not numb. She knew that feeling well, and what she felt now was something completely new to her. She didn't understand why her hands were shaking so terribly as she tried to open her door, and she didn't understand why the second she stepped into her home and closed her door, her body fell back and her head hit the oak. Weakness was plaguing her limbs, and a soft sob choked her the second she tried to suck in oxygen for her crushed lungs.

That's the word she was looking for…crushed.

It had taken her a spinning existence of three long days, for her to finally get the signal. She finally understood the way she felt, and now she was experiencing another idea of life she didn't believe in. Karma.

Had it hurt Booth this much when she said no?

She hoped not.

The emptiness within herself was something she had never experienced before, and as she remained settled against her door, she tried to find something useful to do with herself. The wind rocked against her windows, and the sound of the pouring rain outside caught her attention. She didn't find it rational, but she was sure to find it comforting, and that comfort alone was enough to propel her broken body towards the door leading out to her fire escape.

She loved the smell of rain. It reminded her of washing away the day prior, but in this instance, she was unsure if that was possible. The way the sob had just ripped from her throat had surprised her, and the way the tears were continuing to fall from her eyes did so as well. Everything that she had ever hoped for relied on the answer of that single man, and she felt as if her own mind was punishing her for being so irrational.

At this point, rationality didn't matter. She felt something. For years she had been on a streak of numbness, but finally she felt something. Just as she felt the cool metal under her, and felt the pecks of falling rain against her tilted head. Rivets of water slammed into her skin, cooling her heated cheeks, and massaging the skin of her neck that was still contracting with sobs and held breaths she so desperately wanted to release.

This time though, she allowed those sobs to escape. In the rain, she was masked. She couldn't be heard, and her tears couldn't be seen. In a curtain of water, nature had allowed her to step away from her reality. She was recuperating. But damn if it didn't hurt so much.

She didn't hear his footsteps or the sound of his emerging figure from her house. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her own cries, and the sound of the rain falling around her. But the feel of a raspy fabric broke her of her spell, and she jumped in surprise.

Her eyes were glazed, and she couldn't see, but she knew who was there. Hot tears were still running down her face, and the breath she intended to be normal, turning into a pained gasp. Her skin was cold, and he was emanating warmth. She was alone, and he wasn't. He was everything that she couldn't have, and everything she ever wanted.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly. "I…I thought you were going home."

The raspy fabric she had felt against her shoulders met her dampened shirt once again, and a soft shiver touched her nerves as the warmth of his jacket encircled her. She could feel the tension in her shoulders, and she felt as if she was teetering on a cliffs edge as he sat down beside her and moved his arm around her back. His hand grabbed the edge of his jacket, while the other took her hand, pulling her into his side to give her body the warmth it had been shivering for. Her head moved to his shoulder, and soon she found herself pressed against him perfectly, with her tears sliding against his neck.

Why was she still sitting here, limp and crying in his arms? How was it that she could so easily accept him when he just rejected her moments ago? How did she feel so comfortable with crying in his arms, when she knew good and well she should be pushing him to the furthest ends of the universe?

Hm, after this case…that was a simple explanation. She loved him.

"Bones, I'm here because your words haunt me. You haunt me. You have since the moment I met you. Whether it be good or bad, I can't go a single minute of my life without having you on my mind. You're my partner, my best friend, and the woman I would go to the extremes for. You have been for years, and even though Hannah is in the picture, you aren't fine being alone," he whispered, his lips softly ghosting over the cold, soaking skin of her forehead. "You're never alone Bones. No matter what you believe, there will always be someone there to sit beside you, and hold you when you're crying."

"Booth," she whimpered softly. "I…I don't know how I feel about this. I feel worse, because you're just…here reminding me, but I feel better, because…just, because you're here. I don't know if I can bear having that sort of confusion day to day."

"I did," he muttered, his thumb working softly against the back of her hand. "For years in fact."

"You're different than me."

"Polar opposites?"

"No," her answer was quick…sure…confident, despite the tears that still slid down her cheeks. "We are in no way the same, but we are not the exact opposite. We have many things between us that tie us together emotionally. That's why we have the relationship we have now…no matter how confusing that relationship is."

"Bones…nothing happens just once," his voice was gentle. His words were spoken right against her ear, and she felt his arms tighten at the shiver that ran up her spine. He was repeating her words. Words he had never heard leave her lips. "Infinity goes in-"

"Both directions."

"No," he corrected, smiling at the quick look she shot him. "Infinity goes in ALL directions. The possibilities are endless. Do I believe in fate? Yes. Do you still? I don't know. But I have faith in the inevitable Bones. It's inevitable. For now, I have Hannah yes, but if we are meant to be together, that will happen."

"What makes you think that there is even hope for us anymore?"

"Bones, I've loved you for seven years now…let's just use the excuse that, old habits die hard," he smiled, grabbing her hand and helping her to her feet. He tightened his jacket around her and his fingers reached up to brush away the stringy hair sticking to her face.

"Seven years?" she asked, a small flutter of hope reaching the emptiness within her. "As in…now."

"Old habits," he shrugged, taking her hands tenderly. "But, I think deep down you know what will happen."

"I can't know," she whispered. "I can only hope, and dream. But…they both seem worthless now."

"They aren't," he promised, his finger hooking under her chin. "They are never worthless. You got to where you are today professionally because of the dreams you had. You dreamed you would be the best forensic anthropologist in the world and it happened. You dreamed that your family would return, and it happened. You dreamed that you would be surrounded by friends who love you, and that, to, happened. Temperance, dreams are the root of reality. Nothing can be made if it is not dreamed first."

"I understand," she muttered, insecurity clawing at her numbed skin. "But…is it even worth dreaming of anymore? I can't help but feel…I've lost you."

With a small smile, he let the finger under her chin twitch. On an impulse that seemed to control his whole body, he moved her closer. His eyes flickered across her face softly, and as soon as he heard the small hitch of her breath, he pressed his lips to her own.

Their lips were wet, and rain water fell between them and the innocent kiss. It served no purpose of moving forward, it was only an example…a reminder, of the sparks that erupted between them with the slightest of contact.

But even the slightest of contact, left her breathless.

"Bones," he whispered, as his lips moved beside her ear. "Dream…for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll end up among the stars."

"But, what if I only want the moon?" she asked, her fingers tightening against the shirt she had fisted against her palms. "What if the moon is what I need?"

"Then just keep dreaming," he hushed, placing a sweet kiss to her forehead. "You may have missed the moon this time, but, why not try again? You just have to wait for the right time."

"Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"Why, are you still here?" she whispered, smiling softly as the rain started to slow, and he looked at her with a confused look. "Why is it that, through everything that we have put each other through, you are still here right beside my side?"

"Call it whatever you want Temperance…insanity, fate, intuition…_love_…it doesn't matter. The facts here are that…I...I just can't give you up. Like I said, you haunt me. A ghost of-"

"A dream, you're reluctant to dream about?" she asked boldly, nervously meeting the smile in his eyes.

"Hm," he chuckled softly, his lips touching her forehead once more, before he led her into the warmth of her house. "For once, I think I finally understand what the infamous Dr. Temperance Brennan is saying."

"That's because for once, the infamous Dr. Temperance Brennan knows how to be understood."


	86. Studying Politics

**An: Yay for snow days! I'm trying my best to update all of my stories, but the inspiration just doesn't wanna come. I'll try and get a new chapter of GIT out as soon as possible. :P**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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It's like a pencil with erasers at both ends  
I want it all but we're dealing in percents  
And these activities that you have engaged in  
This is the politics of seeing you dance with him  
We began with concluding remarks  
Pick up the pieces and examine the parts  
Your words always cut when they're cliché  
But here's my knife because I came for the buffet_

_This is the way it goes  
With you a part of it  
Nervously saying words  
That oh-so-tightly fit  
A mark beneath the chin (Uh Uh)  
I've caught you once again  
It's in the way you sell every word and phrase  
And leaving me to know how much the meaning weighs  
Saying that but meaning this (Uh Uh)  
Using hands for emphasis_

_ -Studying Politics (Emery)_

His eyes were glued to her ivory skin as he watched her move. As always, she held her usual elegance, but below it, there was an almost smugness directed towards him. He could see it in the sideways glances she shot at him, and it took everything within him not to call her out on the matter. Of course, he was sure that was what she wanted. And he couldn't give her that.

Though…that was before he saw…'it'.

He noticed the mark when she tilted her chin up to him in the proud declaration of her words. Ever since she had…propositioned…him, and he turned her down, she had made it her single handed duty to make him miserable. Though, when he asked her about it, she simply said she was 'moving on'. And why should he even worry? He moved on, right?

_Wrong._

"Bones," he hissed as his hand circled her arm. "Mind if I talk to you in your office?"

"Actually I do Booth," she said, shrugging out of his touch, and moving back to the body spread out in front of her. "I have a lot of work to do. We still don't have cause of death, and no motive as to how Naomi was killed."

"That can wait," he growled, stepping close enough that his lips moved directly against her ear. "I need to talk to you."

"And I need to work."

"Wait until Hodgins is done analyzing those crystals we found on her body…then, you can work. Until then, we need to have a little chat," he demanded, circling her wrist and dragging her from the platform. He could feel her struggling against his grasp, and truthfully, he was waiting for the slap to his face or the punch to his balls. But that never came. On the other hand, he wasn't surprised. She had revealed that mark to him on her own accord, and this is what she was wanting.

She wanted him mind fucked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Booth growled, as he slammed the door behind him, and let her walk towards her desk.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," she smirked, resting against the side of her desk with every inch of her body oozing satisfaction.

"Liar," he spat. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You're fucking with my head by showing me that little hickey under your chin."

"Really?" she asked falsely, letting her fingers run from her chin down the column of her neck. "I was aware that it was there, but I thought that I had covered it with make up well enough."

"Obviously not. And you knew that. You wanted me to see it Temperance Brennan."

"And why would I care if you knew I had sex or not?"

"Because…you're angry with me."

"I could care less," she growled, knowing well that that was the worst lie that had ever left her lips, but the liquid fire that was slicing through her veins was enough to keep her words unfiltered. "You moved on…didn't you? Well, now I'm trying to do the same. Just because Hannah left you doesn't mean I get to be the second choice. Things can't go back to how they used to be. You chose her over me, and now she's gone. And, in a way…so am I. At this point Booth we are partners and anything else that remained there has to be forgotten."

"Bones," he laughed, his whole body bristling at her words. "We aren't easily forgotten…I'm not easily forgotten."

He tested his grounds, and moved closer to her. He watched as she straightened, and her fingers clasped hard at the edge of her desk. He could hear the heavy rasping in her breath, and he could see the fire burning in her pupils. Every word that left her lips was a stone cold lie and she was only trying to pull him closer. "I'm also not easily fooled," he hissed against her ear, letting his breath heat her already burning skin.

"I'm not fooling anyone," she argued, closing her eyes tightly to try and keep her body in check.

"Of course you are. You're playing me, yourself, and whatever poor bastard you're pulling into this. Though, I can almost assure you met him when he was drunk."

"Oh and how did you gain that insight?"

"This…'hickey' is barely even able to be called such," he said, leaning back and tapping under her chin. "Whoever did this was either terribly drunk, or very inexperienced, because he didn't do it right."

"And do you know how to do it right?"

"Of course I do," he smirked, reaching up to trace a teasing finger down her neck. "Though, I don't know how I would feel about bruising your gorgeous skin."

"I think that's just your way of covering up," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, and glaring at him through challenge bleeding eyes. "I doubt you could give me a more enjoyable night than Aaron did last night."

"If war is what you want," he resigned. "War is what you'll get."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means…I'll pick you up at seven. Make sure you drink lots of fluids today. I wouldn't want your throat to be sore tomorrow morning from all of the screaming."

"I don't scream during sex."

"We'll see about that…"


	87. The Introduction

**An: Love this band. Throat hurts. Hope there's no school tomorrow. Enjoy.**

**Twit Shit: twitter(Dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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Blue eyes, red lips  
Let's make a battle, when can I go and give in to your kiss?  
Cold hands, warm breath  
I promise baby that I'll always give you my best  
Don't speak, just stay in the moment when my fingers are lost in your hair  
Hug tight, don't go  
You know my biggest fear is simply that I'll be alone._

_ -The Introduction (Sing Me Insomnia)_

They stumbled out of the diner in a fit of laughter. Her heels clacked against the rain drenched sidewalk, and the chilly breeze of night brushed against the bare skin of her legs the red dress she wore didn't cover. She tightened the belt of her jacket around her midsection, and she smiled as his strong hand reached out and grasped her own. The tug of his hand brought her spinning into his arms, and she squealed softly when his hands rested against her cheeks.

"Your hands are freezing," she smiled, sliding her own hands from his chest, to his waist circled by his warm, leather jacket.

"You're beautiful," he whispered in return, smiling as his fingers toyed with the silken strands of hair falling around his hands. The smell of her lavender shampoo circled around his body, and he smiled as he pulled her close enough for his nose to bury into the soft tendrils of auburn. He heard a soft sigh fall from her lips, and felt her body press against him; her arms tightening around his back.

His fingers softly brushed through her hair; before he let his arms circle her shoulders, and pull her tight against his chest. He sighed against her temple, closing his eyes and smiling brightly. He had been able to do for this almost a week now. At the mercy of God, some force of nature had finally propelled them together, and truthfully the whole playing out of her ultimatum was a blur.

All he knew was that, he finally got his signal. This was his now or never time. It was either go all in, or lose her forever.

This time he was smart enough to say yes.

"Bones?" he whispered quietly, chuckling when he felt her jump at the words that had broken the comfortable silence they fell into.

"Yes?" she asked, letting her nails softly rake down his shirt covered back.

"Are you happy?"

"More than I could articulate into words," she promised, smiling at him as his hands once again found their ways to her cheeks and she leaned back enough to look into his shimmering chocolate eyes. They shared a soft smile with the other, and the world around them blurred into a plethora of colors as he pulled her close enough for their lips to touch.

She shivered as his tongue softly nudged her lips apart; opening herself to the passion he had boiling under his skin. Her hands moved from his waist to his chest; her arms finalizing their journey as his arms fell to wrap around her lower back, and her own rose to wrap around his neck. She allowed the brace of his arms to catch her as she melted into their kiss, allowing their tongues to meld together lazily, while the last of the patrons in the diner walked out of the door and hailed a cab.

"We should probably head somewhere," Booth muttered against her lips, holding her tight to his body as his lips trailed against her neck. "I don't want you getting sick."

"Hm…your place or mine?"

"Your place," he answered, grabbing her hands and leading her towards the SUV. "I love seeing your ivory skin against your dark maroon sheets," he smiled, backing against his truck to kiss her once again. "I say it's the color contrast."

"Hm, I love seeing your skin just about anywhere," she teased, softly nibbling against the side of his neck.

"Well, then let's head home," he smiled, bringing her around to the passenger's seat, and lifting her into place. "I'm sure we have a long night ahead of us."

"Damn right," she smirked, kissing him one last time, before she pushed him back onto the sidewalk, and closed the door. She watched as he ran around the front, and easily slid in beside her, but as his hand turned the keys of the ignition, she reached over and placed her hand against his arm. "Booth?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking at her, and letting his hand fall into her own.

"Are you happy?"

His smile was soft, and he tenderly squeezed her hand before he leaned closer to her and pressed his lips against her own. His thumb moved softly against the back of her hand, and he let his fingers softly trap her chin, as he pulled back from her. "Temperance," he whispered, with a kiss to her forehead. "I am infinitely happy, and I plan on taking you home, and proving that to you, all night long."

"Just tonight?" she asked, smiling at him under hooded eyes, as her hands trailed soft, playful touches against his leg.

"No Bones," he laughed, as he sealed their lips together once more. "Every night…for the rest of our lives. I promise."


	88. Confess

**An: This chapter is plotless, pointless, and really...terrible. XD I'm sorry for inconveniencing you and making you read this. It just sort of...popped into my head when I listened to this song. And truly...this chapter sucks.  
**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
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Dance real slow  
Our hearts are beating  
Like minds contrast  
Heavy breathing  
I'm naive  
But you're deceiving me  
So we sing..._

_ -Confess (Sing Me Insomnia)_

He gasped as his eyes rested on her. His body hummed at the sight of all the milky skin her emerald colored dress revealed and he couldn't help but notice how much the color made her eyes shine. She looked beautiful, from every pinned up curl on her head, to the fashionable silver heels that adorned her feet. To him, she looked like a goddess in a mess of normal, unworthy beings.

But in her mind, she thought otherwise. She had contemplated long and hard if the dress that wrapped tightly around her body was right for this event. It was only the Donor's Ball and in all truth, she really didn't have anyone to impress, but the dress just didn't seem right. She wasn't sure if it was the color, or if it had to do with the amount of skin that was revealed, but in the end she stopped caring and pinned up her hair before Angela appeared to drag her away.

The second she took three steps into the ballroom she was ransacked by donors. They inquired about her job, batted their eyes, and pretended to be interested when she described what all her job entailed. She had to admit that she was impressed how easily they covered their boredom, but as she saw the orchestra start moving into their places, she excused herself and disappeared into another crowd of people.

She dreaded dancing; especially dancing with random men who are trying to sleep with her. She dodged the interested gazes of multiple other men, before she found the quiet table where Cam and Angela were sitting at.

"Hey Sweetie," Angela greeted, nodding to the seat beside her. "Sit down."

"I'd love to," she huffed, easily sliding in beside her best friend, before she accepted the champagne extended towards her, and drank the glass dry.

"Rough night?" Cam asked; her chin rested eloquently on her palm.

"I hate these things," Brennan confessed. "I feel like I'm just a...slab of meat, prancing around to pull money out of horny men."

"That's the whole point Sweetie," Angela muttered. "But what can you expect when our staff is full of gorgeous, sexy women."

"It's very disturbing."

"Eh, things like that happen Bren," Ange whispered, straightening herself and looking around the crowd of people. "Where's Booth? Why don't you go find him? He's your body guard."

"I'm whose body guard?" Booth asked, as he walked back with a scotch in his hand.

"Brennan's," Cam explained. "She's uncomfortable."

"Why Bones?" he asked, resting his hand against her shoulder.

"Booth is not my body guard," she popped in saying, sitting back into his grasp and looking up at him with a weak smile.

"Booth, stay with Brennan," Angela ordered, smiling down at her friend as she stood up to greet her husband. "You can't deny how amazing she looks tonight, and since she didn't come here on the arm of another man, everyone wants her. Keep her safe G-Man," she teased, reaching out and softly tapping his chest. "Dance with her a little bit. Poor thing needs to loosen up."

"Angela, I don't need to loosen up," Brennan argued, standing momentarily to stand eye to eye with her friend. "And I can take care of myself. I don't need Booth here to help keep men away from me. I can do that all on my own. I find they don't enjoy it when I point out that are obviously not attractive enough for me to find them pleasing."

"Well, Booth's hot," Ange smiled. "So, my plan is perfect."

"Thanks Angela," Booth smiled, absently brushing his hand down his chest, before he hooked his fingers into his belt and rocked back on his heels.

"Babe," Hodgins smiled, while his hand ran across her back. "You're just inflating his ego. He doesn't need that much help to be cocky, and Dr. B can only put up with so much."

"Thank you, Dr. Hodgins," Brennan smiled, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her eyes to Booth in a playful glare. "I believe you should talk to Sweets about your problem Booth. I'm sure he could help you be more modest."

"I don't have a problem Bones," he smirked, as he glanced to the side and noticed one of the donors making his way towards them. "But we will if we don't make a run for it," he said, extending his hand to his partner and smiling tenderly. "Dance with me, Temperance."

"It would be my pleasure," she whispered, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her towards the dance floor, as the prestigious young man frowned, and quickly diverted his direction towards the bar.

The couple made their way towards the center of the floor, and Brennan laughed softly as he spun her around, before pulling her into his arms. Their bodies pressed tightly against each other, and she smiled as she felt his heart pulsing under the hand he held against his chest. They swayed to the music, and allowed their thoughts to collide within their minds as the music settled deep within their bodies. She shivered as she felt his breath against her neck, and a soft smile rose to her lips as she felt his fingers trail along the line of her spine. Goose bumps rose to her skin, and she laughed softly when he settled his warm palm against her lower back.

"Are you cold Bones?" he asked, his voice low and quiet against her ear.

"Not necessarily," she whispered in return; her cheek resting against his shoulder as she let his arms hold her on her feet.

"Bones…you know…you look beautiful tonight."

"Really?" she asked genuinely. "I hate this dress. I think it's just…not right on my body."

"Nonsense," he smirked, nudging his nose against her neck. "You look gorgeous. You always look gorgeous, in anything you wear."

"Oh well, once you see me when I first wake up I assure that you'll change your mind," she smiled, straightening herself so that she could look into his eyes.

"You know," he whispered; his hand reaching up to brush a stray curl out of her face. "I'm sure, that even seeing you, hair all messed up, and completely clean faced, I would still find you beautiful."

They shared a loving smile, and she shivered as he felt his finger softly stroke underneath his chin. She allowed him to draw her closer, and she closed her eyes as her lips turned up before they touched with his own. Here, in front of their bosses, they kissed softly. They were naïve, and unsure why all of a sudden, they had let the ropes keeping them from each other fray from their limbs. But at this point, they didn't care about tomorrow, or truthfully what was going to happen in the next minutes of life. All they cared about was the closeness of the other, and the long awaited confession that was finally spoken between the two.


	89. Mixed Signals

**An: This is me, trying to put a dent in the accumulating list of songs I need to write chapters for, and trying to give Bones readers hope for the future. :)**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

**K...I gotta go to sleep. :) Night!  
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Sitting in the back  
Hold you in my arms  
Hiding from the rain  
Staying dry and warm  
Crossing my fingers  
Hope the rain doesn't stop  
Let it go_

_ -Mixed Signals (Sing Me Insomnia)_

The rain crashed against the roof of the Jeffersonian, and seemed to dim every light around the couple. The wind and oncoming winter chill made the sterile, metallic sanctuary freezing, and Brennan felt herself shiver before the strong arms around her tightened once again.

"Bones," he smiled, pulling at the blanket resting over the back of the couch. "Lift the file up babe, so I can wrap this around you."

"I'm fine Booth," she smirked, resting back against his chest and snuggling into his warmth. "It was just a cold chill."

"Bones, your skin is like ice," he stated, reaching forward and snatching the file out of her hands before she could yank it out of his reach. He smiled at her gasp and kissed her softly before she could yell at him for his actions. He rested his hand against her hip, and tugged on the blanket stuck between them, until the warming fabric fell over her body. "See, now was that so bad?" he teased, kissing her forehead as she pushed up from her place between his legs, and turned over so that she could wrap her arms around his torso, and rest her head against his chest.

"Are you tired Bones?" he whispered, letting his fingers massage soft circles in her back as the methodical sounds of the rain started to bang a trance against the ceilings.

"Mmm," she mumbled softly, as the sound of his pulsating heart reverberated in her ears. "More or less. I'd describe it more as…calm, but the calmness is making me a little tired I have to admit."

"Why don't you take a nap," Booth smiled, as his hands smoothed through her silken mahogany hair. "I can wake you up in a little while, or we could just go home and go to sleep."

"No," she argued softly. "It's wet and cold outside. I'm comfortable right here, but I'm worried about your back. I can tell by your heart beat that you are also starting to become fatigued. I could almost guarantee that you will fall asleep, if I fall asleep."

"Bones don't worry about my back," he whispered, as he wiggled down enough so that his head could rest against the pillow he had propped up against the arm of the couch. He felt her settle against the crack formed from his body and the cushions pressing against them. Her hair tickled at his nose as she rested her head against his chest, but the soft smell of her peach shampoo only made his eyes flutter more against the calm that was plaguing his body.

"I do worry about your back though. We've been doing so well at making sure that you're relaxed before you go to sleep. You haven't had pain for months, and now that we're falling asleep here it's probably going to come back."

"Baby," he laughed as his lips touched her forehead. "Trust me, I'm relaxed. I'll be fine. And if I'm not, you can just use your magic knuckles on me or give me one of your killer massages."

"You know, I was always afraid that once I started to massage your back you would start to purposefully hurt yourself just to get those said massages."

"Now, Bones…I'm hurt. I would never do such a thing."

She smirked, and tilted her head up to look into his teasing gaze. Her fingertip trailed lazy circles across his chest, until she allowed her finger to move up the column of his neck, until her palm rested against his cheek. Their eyes locked once again, and her thumb softly caressed his five o'clock shadow before they both moved simultaneously, and met together in a tender kiss.

Their lips simply brushed against their partner; nudging and making love in a sensual, breathtaking kiss. She felt the world spin around her, despite her closed eyes, and her smile rose against his lips when she felt his heart beat increasing steadily under her body. In this moment, she was extremely thankful for the freezing rain chilling the city outside, but she was even more thankful for being able to keep warm by being wrapped within the arms of the man she had given her heart to almost a year ago.

"I love you," she whispered once their lips separated and their eyelids rose to reveal their dilated and misty eyes.

"I love you," he returned tenderly; kissing the bridge of her nose as she once again settled against his chest. "Go to sleep Bones. I'll be here waiting for you when you wake up."

"Liar," she laughed, as she felt her eyes grow heavy. "You'll be asleep."

"Yeah…probably."


	90. A Toast To The Future Kids!

**An: OHHHHHH-KAY! I L-O-V-E, LOVE! This chapter. I have no idea why, but just...listening to Emarosa and reading these lyrics and just recently watching the Brennan-Centric episode on TNT it all just flowed. God, I love moments like this. And for some reason, they always seem to come at night...when I should be sleeping. :) Hahah! Enjoy, and leave me with your remarks.**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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Seeing past  
It's about time I asked for more  
Watching my life, at the distance we have come  
Well I've lived, well I've learned  
But I always seem to give up on myself  
(Self, self, self, self)  
String it along  
Say you'll love me either way  
Say you'll love me any way  
While I'm alone  
Say you'll love me either way_

_ -A Toast To The Future Kids! (Emarosa)_

It was close to midnight when she found herself in front of his door. The rain hadn't stopped, and a shiver ran through her body when a cold gust of air brushed around her soaked body. She didn't know whether being here was a good idea or bad, but at this point, her whole being was telling her to stay. And as an act of conditioning…she obeyed.

She could hear his footsteps from within, and automatically she observed that they were heavy. Her chest clenched in realization. After the hell she had put him through these past three days, she was sure that he was exhausted…and here she was, once again bothering him. She had to learn to try and distance herself from him…at least enough so that he could be happy.

A heavy breath in her chest brought on her clarity, and her jaw set as she faced the facts present before her. This was the first step in stepping out of his way…hopefully.

"Bones," Booth grumbled as he opened his door. His eyes were set far within his skull, and she frowned when her gaze traced the black rings resting above his cheek bones. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"No," she answered truthfully; softly digging her teeth into her lower lip. "I need to ask you something, very important."

"So important that you had to come at…1:20 in the morning?"

"Yes."

"Well, do you want to come inside? It's freezing out here and you're soaked."

"No, Booth," Brennan returned, her voice unusually hurried and agitated. "No. That's the whole reason why I'm here. This question is quick, but substantial. I need to know this information, before I can ever fully step out of your life."

"Bones," he chuckled, leaning more heavily on his door. "What are you talking about? I don't want you to fully step out of my life. I don't want you to step out of my life at all."

"You made your choices," she whispered softly. "And I made mine. I admit now that my choices were the wrong ones, but you stand by the decisions you made. We can't live overlapping lives anymore. We can't sit in my apartment until 2 in the morning eating Thai…we can't stay in the diner until we have to physically get kicked out, and we can't stay out into the morning light sitting on the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial just so we can talk. Booth…this…this relationship that we have, has always been too intimate. You have been the constant that I had craved since I was a child, and now I find that even though you are still here…you aren't here."

"Temperance, I'm always here for you. You know that. I would never think about abandoning you-"

"You see, but you have," she explained; allowing a sigh to pass from her lips as her fingers brushed back the hair that was sticking to her skin. "Because of this relationship we have, you claimed to have fallen in love, and because of this relationship, I have…done the same. But here we are; me alone and you with another woman with whom you also claim to love. It isn't fair to Hannah, and it isn't fair to us to keep playing this game…so I need to ask this question, and I need you to be completely honest."

She could see the pain of reality flash in his eyes, and she felt breathing become much more difficult as she caught the flickers of emotion in his gaze. Her fingers were twisting before her, and she couldn't still the ragged pattern that had taken over her usual cadence of breathing. She didn't realize the impact of her words, until her mind finally caught up with her mouth, and she heard the echo of her words. She admitted to loving him, and this…this was probably the worst time to shine light on that fact.

_Shit._

"Bones…I'm sure we…we established earlier that I'll always be honest with you," he rasped, as he tried to focus on anything other than her.

"You…you're right," she whimpered, another pulsation of pain substituting for her usual heartbeat. "Well…you told me once, that…that love was eternal. No matter what kind of love…if someone or something had enough impact on you for you to admit to loving them, then you would always remember them. I need to know…is that still true? Is your love for me eternal? Or, was my impact not enough?"

"Are you asking me," he laughed; his voice raw and weak. "Are you asking me if I still love you?"

"Yes," she confessed, nervously playing with the dolphin ring on her finger. "I…this is something I need to know Booth. I know it's not fair for me to put you in a position like this, but…this is my first step. This is the first step to separating myself from you. I want nothing more than for you to be happy, and…if I'm not enough to make you happy, then I will gladly step aside. But…I just…I need to know this."

"Temperance…Brennan," he growled; his eyes burning into her skin as every single ounce of intensity that he held in his body was portrayed in his chocolate colored irises. "The love I feel for you…is the strongest I have ever experienced. The second I saw you, lecturing about flesh eating bugs, I felt as if someone punched me straight in my stomach. I couldn't breathe as I watched you practically sashay across that stage. I couldn't believe the passion I could see in your eyes when you explained these techniques to mindless college students…and I couldn't believe how, such a beautiful woman…could be so poised and elegant, while still being a squint. And once I finally got to talk to you, I felt like I was on a roller coaster. You could go from so adorably sweet, to so stubbornly ignorant in 2.5 seconds. I could go from wanting to strangle you, to wanting to push you against your desk and kiss you until you were gasping for air. So many days, I spent beside you, wanting nothing more than to drive my fingers into your hair, tear you out of your lab coat, and ravage you…just so you could see the depths of my feelings for you. Jesus Christ Bones, that year we were apart after our first case I couldn't stop thinking about you. You're like a deathly sickness I can't get rid of…that I didn't want to get rid of. I got used to the pain I experienced around you…I practically became addicted to it, because then I knew for sure this wasn't just lust I felt for you. What I said about love was true Bones, and like I said…the love I feel for you is stronger than any other love I've ever experienced. That love still exists, and most likely always will. Though, I never pictured that this conversation would ever be taking place. I never thought that you were going to be the one that got away."

She could feel tears building behind her eyes, but her short, soft breaths helped pushed the moisture away from the surface. The muscles in her neck and throat were sore from tensing, and the skin under her dolphin ring was beginning to pinken against the constant scraping. She felt at a loss for a coherent thought, and her suddenly chapped lips opened and closed before words began to form.

"Booth, I don't think I count as 'the one that got away'," she whispered, as she felt her feet dragging her backwards towards the stairwell. "I find myself more as…the one that just...couldn't hold on. I couldn't hold on to the most precious, most wonderful opportunity that was ever offered to me in my life, and now I suppose it's time for me to pay for my ignorance."

"Bones, don't leave," he exclaimed suddenly, stopping her in her tracks. "I…I can't have you leave on terms like this."

"We spoke of the truth Booth," she explained, as she reached up to brush away the single tear that had fallen from her eye. "We finally…finally confessed to each other everything that we have been keeping within ourselves for years. Nothing is going to be able to change that. And sticking around isn't going to make anything better. Go, you need to sleep, and I'm sure Hannah is missing you. Hell," she laughed ruefully. "You're three feet away from me and I feel like we're on opposite ends of the world. Good bye Booth…have a good weekend," she finished with a pained smile; stuffing her hands deep into the pockets of her before she turned and stepped into the cold, empty stairwell.

In her mind, she was hoping he would admit that moving on entailed leaving his love for her behind. Now that she knew otherwise…leaving him behind was going to be so much harder.

_Shit._


	91. You'll Never Know

**An: And once again, I'm not too fond of this chapter. I...as I have stated before, thing this sucks, but I'm sure you guys are going to argue with me and state that it isn't. But I'm okay with that. It makes me feel better.**

**Enjoy my Holiday Chapter Spam.**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus  
**

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Each time it, honey, drips right off of my lips  
I never stick, so how'd you get me stuck in this  
Each time it, honey, drips right off of my lips  
And now I wish you never got me stuck in this  
But it won't show and you'll never know  
I'll lay low and you'll never know_

_ -You'll Never Know (VersaEmerge)_

Their relationship had been one of cat and mouse from the second they met. Every chance they got they would begin messing with fire, only to stop when it started to stray from playful, and dove straight into personal. The tension between the two of them had always been palpable, but instead of that tension pushing them further from each other, it only seemed to act as some sort of bond; pulling them and tugging them until running away was almost hopeless. The game they played was terrifying, but they were at no fault of their own. They were addicted, and healthy alternatives were futile at least.

Every day they worked at perfecting their poker faces; keeping their games away from others, while at the same time trying to keep them from each other. Their whole point was to see who would crack first. Deep within them, they wanted to know exactly how long it took for one of them to be driven crazy to the brink of breaking. It was a masochistic game sure, but it fueled them. It kept them together. It kept them bonded.

Her breath quickened when she heard his familiar footsteps. The same footsteps that she knew brought both trouble, and happiness. She busied herself by brushing through the many files littering her desk. She glanced within them, acting as if they occupied her, before she closed them and began to absently sort them. They were cases they already solved, and all she was doing was rearranging her file cabinets, as she waited for him to show up and drag her to lunch.

"Bones," he whispered, softly knocking his knuckles against her threshold, before he moved closer to her. She knew he was listening to the way she was breathing, and so she kept her eyes focused on the text before her to make sure her lungs contracted normally. She tried to repress the shiver within her spine as she felt his hand slide against her lower back, but sadly she failed, and she was forced to step away from him, as to not allow him the satisfaction.

"I have a lot of work to do Booth," she lied easily. "I have many limbo cases I need to work on. I've fallen behind on identifications because of the many murder cases that have come in this month."

"Bones," he laughed, resting his fists against her desk so that he could lean closer into her space. "You know better than I do that if you're dead, there will be no work. Food is a vital need to survive. Wouldn't it be the rational thing to eat, so that your body can operate at its highest?"

"You make me sound like some sort of machine," she laughed, fingering another manila file absently, before she moved it to the stack on the other side of her desk. "And I'm not sure how I feel about you using rationality on me."

"It's because you know I'm right," he smirked, reaching out to softly touch under her chin. "Come on. You haven't eaten for hours, and you can never turn down Thai."

"Well, I can if I'm feeling more like Italian," she stated easily, smiling at the quick look of agitation that passed over his face.

"Do you always have to argue with me?" he whispered softly, standing up easily and moving around her desk. "I'm only here to make sure you eat, because everyone knows that you could work yourself into the ground before you recognize that you're practically starving."

"Booth, I ate this morning. I'm nowhere close to starving," she teased, tapping her nails on her desk as she allowed her body to drift closer to him. "But I am touched to see that you care," she said silkily, reaching her hand up to softly tap his cheek.

"You're my partner," he brushed off easily, letting his hand reach up to grasp her own. "Of course I care about you."

Her eyes widened as she felt his fingers touch the soft skin of her hand and her lips parted softly as his fingertips reached the inside of her wrist. She watched as his rough hands massaged the tender skin and the overwhelming intimacy began to heat her from the inside out. Every pass of his fingers against her veins seemed to further heat the fire slicing with her blood. Her eyes felt heavy as they locked gazes, and instantly she felt her resolve dissolve. He was winning their game, and she was powerless to stop it.

She whispered his name, but the soft sound barely reached his ears. His hold on her wrist tightened, and he swallowed loudly as his fingers crept up her bare arms. The gentle touches against her skin were driving her insane, and he could see the fire billowing in her cerulean irises. In his mind, their game, took too much of a toll on his mental health, and he was willing to admit defeat, if it would get her to do the same.

"Bones," he muttered, bringing her close enough to sneak his arm around her waist. "I think we need to talk about some things…"

"I wasn't really hungry anyway," she brushed off easily, letting her fingers brush along his jaw, before their lips fell into a soft, barely there kiss.

~*~*B+B*~*~

Her phone vibrated somewhere in her living room, but she felt no desire to retrieve it. She could hear the soft humming against her hardwood floors, but the strong beating against her ear was a much more beautiful sound. Her fingertips softly trailed against his damp side, and a shaky breath cooled his sweat drenched skin as she breathed out against the body heat surrounding them.

She could feel as his hand brushed along her back, and her eyes closed once again as a sigh brushed from her lips. Her hair clung to her neck and face, and a fatigued hand reached up to push her hair away from her skin. His hand rested beside him, but as soon as she showed movement his hand reached up to grasp with her own.

Her hold on him was weak, and a soft smile rose to his lips as he ducked his head to press a kiss to her dampened forehead. He could tell she was exhausted, and as the time on the clock beside her bed ticked closer to return to work, he felt even more tempted to completely blow off work and stay with her. He could feel her breasts pressing harder against his side as she breathed, and every time he felt the weight of soft flesh press against his body, he couldn't help but revel about how beautiful he thought she was.

"Are you alright Bones?" he asked, letting his hand drift to her hip.

"Mmhmm," she assured, straightening herself so that her head was tucked under his chin. "I find I'm drained both physically and emotionally, and because of that, I feel very tired."

"Then take a nap," he laughed, reaching his hand up to brush his knuckles against her cheek. "I'm not going to leave you."

"What about work?" she asked, gasping as her post-coital skin tingled at the movements of her sated body.

"We're playing hooky Bones," Booth explained, reaching down to pull her sheets up over her waist. "We can say a number of things. We can say you got sick during lunch and I stayed to take care of you…we could say you got a migraine or something-"

"Or we could tell them the truth," Brennan suggested, resting her hand against his chest. "I'm sure that'll be enough to please everyone who works at the Jeffersonian."

"That is true, but I'm more worried about my boss than I am about Camille. It's a slow day, and she wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't come back to work, but Hacker isn't the easiest of guys to sway if you make him mad…and…telling him that we finally made love isn't the smartest of ideas."

"Why not?" she asked, leaning up to place a suckling kiss against his neck.

"Because if he knew, he would excellently label me as the luckiest man on Earth."

"At this point you're just trying to sway me towards skipping work," she teased, kissing his chest lovingly, before she resettled her cheek against his shoulder.

"Bones, you should know better than that," he whispered lovingly against her forehead. "I care about you more than I am willing to admit, and every second I spend with you I'm happy. It doesn't matter where we are, or what we're doing, as long as I'm with you…nothing else matters."

"And because of that beautiful speech," she mumbled before her lips parted in a yawn. "You have won me over. I think we can tell the others at the lab the truth, but as for Hacker, I can speak to him personally if you want. I'm sure once he talks to me he'll excuse your absence."

"Bones," he smirked, kissing her nose softly as she started to drift off into sleep. "Always the one to play with fire hmm?"

"If I didn't, life wouldn't be as exciting," she assured, looking up and kissing him softly, before they settled against each other, and easily fell into sleep.


	92. We Are Birds

**An: Cute song, sucky chapter. Eh.**

**Twit Shit: Twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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She can fly, and she's no angel in the sky  
She's a witch but she knows better not to take me when she flies  
And I miss how she looks me in the eyes  
Oh this sounds like desperation

If you're a bird then I'm a bird  
But if you can't fly then neither will I  
Cause then love is not the right time to die

_-We Are Birds (Brighten)_

He looked into her saddened eyes, and tried to breath in with his collapsing lungs. The gorgeous blue color of her eyes had faded to a lifeless grey, and her skin had lost the luster it usually held. She shined no more. She was broken, and he was the reason why.

It had been a little over a month since he had seen her, and every single day he couldn't keep her off his mind. His arms itched to hold her, and his lips burned to kiss away her pain, but sadly he wasn't right to do either. Her pain was something he couldn't stand, and with every passing second he felt insanity creeping closer and closer to him. His dreams were plagued by her, and his nightmares affected her. He called her name out in the night, and every time he caught a flash of blue, he thought of the times in the past where he had witnessed her eyes shining brighter than the sun.

He remembered the days where she was happy. He remembered the days they were happy together, and as he returned every night to bed with Hannah, he wondered what had suddenly happened within him. Did he finally open his eyes to the reality he was trying to mask, or was he simply sucked into her like he had been for years before? Did he still love her? Did he still need her?

_Yes…_

His throat constricted dangerously, and he sucked in a shallow breath at the dawning of his realization. He felt Hannah shift beside him while he shot from his resting place beside her. His feet led him towards the bathroom, where he stood bathed in light; staring at himself in the mirror.

Who was he to choose between two amazing women? Who was he to love both those women, but fool one by trying to neglect the other? Who was he to neglect the wonderful women, with whom had held his heart for over five years? Who was he to neglect the women who still held his heart?

He imagined as her tears fell from her eyes, and he sighed a burdened sigh before he scrubbed his hands over his face, and rested back against the wall. The pulsing of his heart was hard and heavy, and all he could do was close his eyes against the reflection of the man he never wanted to become.

_What have I done?_

~*~*B+B*~*~

It took him months for his plan to come together, and in that time he was able to run away Hannah. He had no immediate want to break things off and hurt her, but eventually she picked up on his thoughts, and excused herself to the first flight to Iraq. But once she was gone, he was able to fall back into his usual routine with his partner; existing closer than they should, and hinting at a future they both craved.

And eventually they collided, seeking solace in each other and finding so much more. Their nights were spent together; bathed in the soft light of candles to highlight the beauty he found in every part of her being. Their words were soft and loving whispers that were meant only for a specific set of ears. Their touches were full of meaning, and their passion scorched more than lava could ever muster. But even in bliss, there is doubt, and he could tell she was scared, once a month had passed, and their relationship status still remained a secret.

"What's wrong angel?" he asked, holding her within the sanctuary of his arms as his lips brushed against her forehead.

"I…I'm worried," she confessed, letting her fingers gently move against his chest, until her palm settled against his heart. "I'm worried that I'll mess this up. I don't want to lose you Booth…I…I can't lose you."

"Have confidence," he whispered, moving his fingers under her chin so that he could connect his eyes with hers. "We just have to believe in each other Bones. We aren't going to jump head first into something we aren't ready to experience. And I don't mind waiting if it's taking you a little longer to become comfortable."

"Are you sure?" she asked; her eyes wide and questioning. "I don't want to hold you back."

"Bones...we're like birds," he muttered, moving his hands against her back and kissing her forehead lovingly. "I'm not going to make you fly if you can't fly."

"But I can't fly," she whispered truthfully, looking up at him with a smile on her lips, and a soft shiver touching her spine where his fingers met her lower back.  
"Unless, of course, I'm in an airplane."

"I think you took my words a little too literally."

"Don't I always?"

"Not always," he argued, as he leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. "Only when you're wrong and don't want to admit it."

They shared a soft laugh, and Brennan rested her head deep within the crook of his neck. Their body heat melded together in a soft, burning flame, before their lips touched once again, and worked heavily against their partner. She felt her back being pressed against her mattress, and soon she felt the cool rush of having his body hovering over her own.

"You're too cocky," she muttered, gasping softly as he suckled at the skin against her neck. "You realize that don't you?"

"Hmm, hell yes," he growled against her neck. "And I make it work. See, you can't brag about what you don't deliver."

"Oh, shut up," she finished on a hiss, sealing their mouths together before they collided together in a whirlwind of passion and love.


	93. Your Surrender

_**An: Meh, not much to say other than I love Neon Trees :D**_

_**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**_

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I got close to your skin while you were sleeping  
I taste the salt on your hands  
I reached out to touch you, the morning light disarms you  
Won't you let me in?

_Oh, how long till your surrender?  
Oh, how long till your surrender?  
It's a long way for heartbreak  
Let your heart wait and bleed  
Oh, how long till your surrender to me?_

_-Your Surrender (Neon Trees)_

In the light of the morning dawn, his eyes traced the lines of gold that shimmered in her luscious chestnut hair. The pale ivory of her skin had been replaced with a heated, shimmering yellow and he watched her eyes flicker behind her lids; his heart constricted painfully as he took in the beauty she held.

He had seen her like this for weeks, but even being able to have the woman he loved in his arms wasn't enough if he couldn't have her heart. Even though she had offered her body to him, and he foolishly accepted; she still withheld the affectionate side of the relationship they had pieced together. He understood that she was afraid of being hurt, but the pain of seeing her throughout the day and not being able to kiss her was almost too much for him to handle.

He had tried to broach the subject before, but it only ended with eyes brimming with tears, and an unknown sense of betrayal. He was pushing her too far and too fast, and she wasn't able to adapt as quickly as he wanted her too. She asked him for time, and being the fool he was, he once again agreed. In his mind he was an idiot, but what did he expect? He was crazy in love with this woman, and he would do anything to make her happy.

A smile adorned his lips when he heard her inhale a sharp breath and began to stretch from her sleeping position. Her eyes opened slowly, and she smiled tenderly as she reached out and rested her fingers against his cheek. He could see she was still overcome with fatigue, but seeing her tired and relaxed was completely adorable to him.

"Good morning," she whispered, letting her palm fall to his cheek as her thumb brushed under his eye.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he teased. He reached out to her, and brought his arm around her lithe body. He gasped softly when he felt her skin press against his own, and his eyes threatened to roll into the back of his head when she ducked her head to his neck and began to place softly suckling kisses against his pulse.

He groaned throatily against her shoulder and his hands roamed the smooth expanse of her back in response. He locked his hold around her, and brought her flush to him; his face burying in her neck as he consumed her in an intimate, but extremely passionate embrace. He heard her sharp intake of breath, and closed his eyes tightly as he held onto her.

"Booth?" she asked quietly, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Just...let me hold you Bones," he muttered, rubbing his palm against her lower back in an attempt to sooth her. "Give this to me, please."

"Booth," she whispered again, pulling away enough to look into his eyes. She frowned when she noticed the pain within his irises, and shook her head before she captured his lips in a tender kiss. Her hands smoothed down his chest, and with a soft press against his heart, she had him resting on his back, with her body hovering over his. Her hands slid to his jaw, holding him within the tender passion that was being transferred between their kiss. She moved her lips to his cheek, and ran her fingers into his hair; tugging his head back so that he stared directly into her eyes. "Seeley Joseph Booth, please don't be sad. I want to give you EVERYTHING, believe me...but I need time. You mean so much to me, more than anyone else I have ever been in a relationship with, and I need to be able to adjust to being with someone I care about so much. All I ask for is your patience. Please. It'll work out in the end."

"Temperance Brennan," he laughed, turning his frown into a bright smile. "You should know that at this point I would give you anything and everything you asked for. I just wish-"

"I know," she interrupted, sliding her lips over his own. "Let's just take this one day at a time. I promise you, you'll have my 'heart' in time. Just...give me time."

"If time is what you need, then time is what you'll get," he swore, reaching up and cradling her cheek with a tender caress. "I love you Bones. With every single inch of my being."

"I know," she whispered against his ear; her tongue sliding against his ear lobe. "Now...prove it to me."


	94. Set It Off Like Napalm

**An: Well...I suppose this is a little too 'M' for me to keep this story rated 'T'. Even though it's short it still gets to a point. Though, it sort of seems out of character. Oh well. XD**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

Our souls have caught on fire  
Well I don't really wanna walk that line  
I don't really wanna cross that line  
Lets make this now or never

_-Set It Off Like Napalm (Emarosa)_

A soft groan rose from his throat as his fingers fisted the blue fabric stretched across her lower back. The smell of lavender rose into his nose, as he buried his face in her hair, and released a shaky breath. His heart was pulsing wildly in his ears and his blood rushed at high speeds through his veins. She was blazing with heat under his hands, and despite his knowledge of how wrong this was, it felt so incredibly right.

Her smooth, calculating hands rested against his cheek, as her soft lips slid against his neck. Her teeth scraped against his skin, before her hands tightened against his chest and her teeth sunk softly into his pulse. Her body buzzed when she heard him growl and felt his arms tighten against her lithe frame. Her name was whispered from between his lips, and her own mouth parted in a short, sweet whimper.

"Bones," he grumbled, his hand moving from the spot on her back to the depths of her hair. He tugged her back and slid his thumb along the line of her jaw; his eyes falling onto her lips before they met together passionately. Their tongues clashed fervently, and their heat increased exponentially as their breaths brought beads of lust to their skin. Her hands clawed at his jacket, and pushed the fabric away from his shoulders as she moved him onto his back, and ground her hips against his own.

"Bones," he whispered again, his hands cradling her face as he rested his lips against her neck. "Oh, Bones, what are we doing?"

"Living," she let escape as he kissed away the oxygen that was residing within her lungs. "Breathing," she furthered, gasping and filling her compressed lungs. "Experiencing...everything that we have deprived ourselves of."

His hand settled against her chest, taking in the racing of her heart. He felt the hot, uncontrolled breaths leaving her lips, and he gently pulled away from his attack on her neck. "Breathe," he coaxed tenderly, as his lips pressed kisses against her cheek. "Please, baby, take a step back and breathe."

"No," she argued, breathing against his neck, before she rose to connect their lips. "No...we've waited too long, Booth. I don't want to wait anymore...I can't wait," she whispered, once again lowering her lips to his.

"Temperance," Booth growled, sitting up and crushing her soft body to his hard chest. He heard her breath escape her once again before their lips met again and again. "Our first time shouldn't be here...in your office...on your couch."

"Does it really matter where we are?" she asked with earnest; her fingers tracing the lines of muscle that were highlighted below his white dress shirt. "Do the outside factors matter anymore? We've been playing this game for years Booth...almost eight to be specific. It's taken us this long to finally fall together, should we really let our surroundings stop what we've been working for for years?"

"Bones," he whispered, smiling at her and leaning forward to kiss her lovingly. "Bones, I...I need to tell you something...something...something very serious."

"I love you," she interrupted, smiling and laughing when his eyes widened, and his face broke out into a fierce smile.

"You do?" he asked dumbly, his voice high and slightly broken.

"If I didn't, then why are we here right now?" she whispered, ducking down to kiss him before he rocked forward and rested her on her back. He reached up and brushed her hair from her face; allowing the soft strands to tangle around his fingers. He smiled at her and pressed his lips to her forehead; his fingers sliding down her front, as he began to snap away the buttons holding her shirt together.

"Bones," he growled against the soft flesh covering her chest. "Say it again...please. Say it again."

"I love you," she breathed huskily, holding his head as he trailed his lips down her stomach; his lips and tongue sliding against her quivering muscles. "Good god, I love you."

"Again," he whispered, sliding her jeans off of her hips.

"I love you."

"Again."

She sucked in a harsh breath, and brought her arms over her head; whimpering as she felt his heated breath against her core. She felt apprehension growing in her body as his fingers hooked in the sides of her underwear, and closed her eyes blissfully as he kissed her inner thigh. Her teeth dug into her lip and she cried out softly as he pressed his lips tenderly to her; allowing their warmth mix in delirious passion.

"Oh god," she gasped as her back arched off the couch, and her hips rose towards his mouth. "Hmmm, Seeley," she cried in a voice was weak, and breathy. "I. Love. You."

"Bones," he breathed, kissing up her body until his lips landed on hers. "Oh, baby...I love you."


	95. Without You

**An: So, for once in a blue moon...I actually like a chapter. Bahaha! Woo-hoo!**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

_I can make a mess of a good thing_  
_Try to think it through, think of everything_  
_I'll never get engaged with a mood ring_  
_That's why I need you_

_I'll never look for love, it will find me_  
_Take me surprise, it will blind me_  
_I never knew it could be right behind me_  
_And that's why I need you_

_-Without You (Brighten)_

His heart broke as he watched her tears glisten in the light. He watched as her finger played with the ring on her finger, and with every pass of the diamond against her skin, a soft sob left her lips. A sad smile stretched across her face, and with shaky hands she covered her eyes and smoothed away her tears.

He kept his steps light as he made his way into her office; sadness churning in his gut as he moved behind her desk chair and let his hands settle on her shoulders. She gasped gently, but as his arms slipped down, and he hugged her tenderly, she simply reached up and held onto his arm. She rested her head against his arm, and closed her eyes tightly, trying to still the tears that were still flowing freely.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, ducking his head against her neck, and kissing the soft skin. "I'm so sorry Bones. I'm sorry."

"It's my fault," she muttered, tightening her hold on his arm. "I should be the one apologizing."

"No, I was an asshole," he argued. "I'm sorry. We've been together for years Bones, but my...my fear, of losing you is never going to end. I trust you more than anything , and I'm sorry for acting like I did. It's the other guys I don't trust, and I'm a very selfish, and greedy man when it comes to you. The thought of another man just touching you is too much for me."

"Booth, I would never think of hurting you," she whimpered, turning in his arms, and lifting herself from her seat. "You have to know that. I would never hurt you, I would never lie to you, and I would never, ever, cheat on you."

"See, I know that Bones. I know all of that. Which makes me that much more of an asshole for treating you like I did," he muttered, gently sliding his fingers along the line of her jaw. "Please, forgive me."

"I never held anything against you," she confessed, letting her hands settle on his chest. "I knew I worried you, but for some reason, I didn't think to call you tell you that my dinner with him ran late. Booth, believe me...Dave Chisholm is nothing compared to you. He is nowhere close to attractive, and he is very dull to talk to. I had to go to dinner with him, or else he wouldn't have donated to the Jeffersonian."

"Bones, this isn't your fault. Nothing about this is your fault. I went overboard, and sent you running out of our house with tears in your eyes," he whispered, kissing her eyelids softly. "I hate seeing you cry. And I hate it even more when I am the one that made you cry."

"Maybe it's because...this is all still so real for us," she offered. "We have so much to lose now... but we're looking at it exactly like that. We're keeping in mind everything we have to lose, instead of everything we have to gain. We're terrified to lose each other, instead of being excited about coming closer. Booth...we're getting married in three months...or at least, I still hope we are."

His smile rose and he laughed softly; his hands holding her cheeks as he brought their lips together softly. He held her with love and passion, and his hand slid up into her hair as she whimpered gently against his mouth. "Temperance Brennan," he smirked. "The over analytical anthropologist is ACTUALLY worried...she won't be getting married."

"Hell yes I was worried," she whispered, sliding her hands up his chest. "I just told you that I was scared of losing you, and after that fight I was scared that we were over."

"Bones, I could never get over you," he confessed, placing a kiss to her forehead tenderly. "No matter what happens between us, I will always be in love with you. I didn't propose to you with a mood ring. When I asked you to marry me, it was so we could be together until the day we die...not until we got in a fight and broke up. I want us to be together forever Bones. We're going to be together forever."

"Forever is a hard concept to process," she muttered, sliding her fingers across his nape as their lips slid in synchronization. "But it's a concept that doesn't seem terrifying when I'm with you."

"Which is probably why you said yes last year when I asked you to marry me...huh?" he asked, moving her backwards until he settled on the couch, with her in his lap.

"No," she argued, pulling his shirt over his head as he pulled away the buttons on her own. "I said yes, because I love you."

"Hmm, I like that answer," he muttered, sliding his hands against her bare skin as he settled her back against the couch. He ducked his head to her neck, and sucked at the pulse roaring through her neck. He nibbled at her flesh, before the flat of his tongue smoothed away the pain. His hands tightened at her waist, and he groaned as he slid his hand between her thighs. She sucked in a fierce breath and released a shaky moan; digging her nails into the muscles stretched across his back.

His hands slid up behind her back, and tore away her bra. His lips slid to the fleshy globes, peaked in arousal. He rested his touch against her back, and held her in place as she arched into his touch. Her throat stretched as head hung back, and she moaned loudly; her fingers dug deep into his hair to hold him in place. She growled helplessly, and slammed her hips into his own; tugging him away from her chest, until he slid up to face her. She sighed at the contact of his muscular body crushing against her breasts, and she smiled before their lips connected, and their tongues slid passionately.

"How is it that make up sex is so...so sweet?" he asked, allowing his mouth to ravage her neck.

"Because it's rough," she growled, as she turned him onto his back, and bit down his chest. "It's possessive...but at the same time it's tender...and passionate," she explained, smoothing a kiss over his heart. "It's loving, while at the same time, it's wild. It's simple, yet remarkable."

"Every day you surprise me," he whispered, as his hand trailed lightly up her spine. "Every single day I think I have you figured out...and then you just turn me upside down and amaze me all over again."

"Good," she hushed, kissing his lips lovingly. "Then you'll never get tired of me."

"I'll never get tired of you anyway Bones. Learning who you are...how you think is just a way to keep me thinking...to keep me wondering. You're a phenomenon, and I'm completely in awe of you Temperance Brennan. I'll never get tired of you, but I know I'll never figure you out completely."

"Then why are you so eager to try?" she asked, as she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"So you'll never get tired of me."


	96. The Shipped Gold Standard

**An: Okay, so obviously this is not a new song, because I am in no way newly familiar with Fall Out Boy, but it seems that every time I find myself with this song, I just...fall in love with it all over again. XD Bahaha. And so, because of that...I felt the need to write the chapter for it and get it out of the way. So here it is :)**

**I've been slow updating because the infamous semester exams have returned *gag* and I got screwed over and have to take 7 out of 8 of my exams because of my migraines. *Thanks Brain!* And so, I've been doing work and homework out the butt hole, and haven't been able to sit down and write. I apologize for that, and will try to get back into my rhythm as soon as possible.**

**Which...might be tommorrow. :) We're getting snow now, and the roads are super slick. Maybe if you send me some wishful thoughts, I'll get out school and have a three day weekend soley for writing (and studying for my English exam) XD**

**Anyway, here is the twit shit:**

**twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

**AND ENJOY! :D**

* * *

I wanna scream I love you from the top of my lungs  
But I'm afraid that someone else will hear me

_-The (Shipped) Gold Standard [Fall Out Boy]_

A smirk rose to his lips as he rested his forearms on the metal stretching along the catwalk. The lights of the Jeffersonian had dimmed to commemorate the late hour, and still, to his disbelief, his partner worked with the same vigor she had held all day. He watched as her fingers smoothed over bone, and he couldn't help but smile when she sighed, and stripped off her gloves to scrub her hands over her face. He released a small whistle to gain her attention, and he laughed when she jumped and looked up to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, resting her hand on her hip, and tilting her head gently.

"Admiring," he said simply, rising from his forearms to settle on his hands.

"Admiring what? The platform?"

"The beautiful scientist on the platform," he corrected, smiling as he watched a soft blush color her cheeks. His knuckle curled as he tapped the metal under his hands; his smile sly, and tempting. "Come up here."

"I have work to do."

"You're exhausted. Come up here. Take a break for a little bit."

"I want to identify this skeleton and finish my report before I go home Booth. I have to keep working."

"If you don't come up here, I'll just come down there and drag you up. Come on. It's almost midnight, you should be heading home anyway. You've been really stressed lately. Come up here and relax."

"Fine...but first, how long have you been standing there?" she asked, stepping towards the stairs on the platform, with her hand still adorning her hip.

"Almost an hour."

"Creep," she muttered, smiling and laughing when he yelled in retaliation. She climbed the stairs to the catwalk and made her way under the metal supports crossing close to her head. Her heels clacked loudly under her, and she smiled idiotically when she neared him, and slowed before she rested against the side of the walkway. "I don't know how my boyfriend would feel about you stalking me late at night," she teased, sliding her hand towards his own, as she slowly drifted closer to him.

"I'm sure he won't mind," he dismissed, with a grin on his lips. "And if he has a problem, he can deal with me."

"Look at you being all alpha male," she whispered with astonishment. "Trying to stake your territory? Or are you jealous?"

"I have nothing to be jealous about sweetie," he whispered, before he moved his arm around her back and pulled her flush against his chest. His hand rose to her cheek, and they shared a soft laugh before their already brushing lips pressed together fully. She shivered against the gentle touch of his hand sliding along her spine, and her tongue worked forcefully to massage his own; lowering her teeth to tug at his bottom lip as they separated.

"You need to learn to take breaks babe," he whispered huskily as his forehead fell against her own. "You need rest just like every other person."

"Well, breaks just don't seem as appealing when you aren't here," she explained, as her hands slid over his torso. "Why would I take time to drink coffee, when I could wait for you to be here, and take time to do something...much...much better."

"Because you need energy to participate in the 'much, much better' part," he muttered, laughing and leaning down to kiss her again. "I worry about you. Is everything alright? You seem to be working later and later."

"Everything is perfect," she quelled, sighing as she turned towards the scene of the lab and his arms came around her. "I swear."

He rested his chin on her shoulder, and glanced at her face, before he looked down into the abandoned scientific sanctuary. "Are you sure?" he asked, moving his lips to her cheek. "Because you know you can talk to me about anything Bones."

"You're worried about our relationship," she stated quietly, straightening enough to break from his hold, so she could turn to look at him. "And I assure you, you have nothing to worry about."

"Then why are we still keeping it quiet?"

"Because we need proof that we'll be able to work together, and indulge in a romantic relationship at the same time," she explained, reaching up to frame his face tenderly. "Listen, I know it hurts you to hide this from the people we love, and trust me, I hate it too, but we need to keep it like this for a while. After a couple months, if we keep everything running smoothly, we can come out about this. Then when the FBI finds out, we can tell Sweets that we've been together for much longer than he thinks, and point out that in that time, we were able to remain our professionalism."

"I know," he hushed. "It's just...every time I walk in here and see you, I...I wanna come up here, and just...scream about how much I love you."

"Anthropologically...that's a sign of trying to stake a claim over a mate-"

"But for me, it's just a celebration of my dreams coming true," he confessed, holding her chin between his fingers. "I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you one hundred percent...but like I said before, even though I agree, it doesn't mean I love the idea."

"I know Booth, I know," she muttered, glancing to his lips longingly, before she brought her eyes back to his own. "We don't have to do this for much longer, and then you can come up here and just...scream until your throat is raw."

"Or I could always give people a show," he suggest, waggling his eyebrow suggestively, as he backed her against the catwalk, and used his body to hold her in place.

"In truth...I would most likely enjoy the show a whole lot more," she whispered, whimpering softly as he pressed against her and brought his lips only centimeters from her own. "You standing up here and screaming like a buffoon would be a little embarrassing."

"Then maybe I'll just do it out of spite."

"Yes, and in return, my bed would be off limits to you for weeks."

"I know you Temperance Brennan. You're insatiable...you would never hold to that when you have someone like me walking around," he laughed, stepping away from her and pointing his thumbs towards himself. "Besides...who said anything about needing a bed?"

She shivered and hissed against his words, slapping his chest and pushing him back. "I was able to remain celibate waiting for you for years. Don't question my abilities Seeley Booth."

"And don't question mine, Temperance Brennan," he returned, once again pressing her against the walkway, but this time delivering with a kiss that stole her breath away.

She had to admit to herself that, in the end, he was right.

They didn't need a bed.


	97. The War Of All Against All

**_An: _Oh my goodness...I found another band. Of course...just floating through Youtube and I find TREOS, and just...melt with eargasm-ness. Bah! Well, at least I have more chapters, more things to write, and now that exams are commensing...more time to write. I don't actually study (a downfall I know) but hey, that means more chapters for you guys. :)**

**I got a 100% on my English Exam today. I feel special.**

**And because of that special feeling, I give you TWIT SHIT:**

**twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus.**

**I give you the knowledge that I have only one exam tomorrow from 9 to 10:30...and a big hearty...**

**ENJOY :D**

* * *

_We were led to lead lovers, marching to the beat, to the beat_  
_We were led to lead lovers, we kiss so well, we kiss so well_  
_We were led to lead lovers, marching to the beat, to the beat_  
_We were led to lead lovers, we kiss so well, we kiss so well_

_The cannon's calling our name,_  
_I hear her singing to me_  
_The cannon's calling our name,_  
_I hear her singing to me_

_-The War Of All Against All (The Receiving End Of Sirens)_

He shivered as he sat against the table in the interrogation room, watching as a happy young couple walked from a church with large smiles on their faces. Flowers and bubbles flew into the air, and the sound of their laugher was strong and blissful. The couple shared a tender kiss as they neared their limo, and they waved goodbye to everyone, before they slipped inside and disappeared.

He listened as the man beside him sat still, his eyes focused on the table, his breathing normal. He was completely calm about this, and the pure thought of that made Booth sick.

He switched tapes, and this time the sounds of harsh voices, and cries were heard. The picture was jumbled, and rasping was heard before the picture planted firmly and they caught view of the victim hanging from the ceiling. The once happy bride had been chained from her wrists, by the man sitting beside him.

She was nude, and covered in cuts and bruises. His voice was wicked, and he held a large serrated knife; the very tip piercing her hip enough for a single trail of blood to slide down her leg. She was begging for mercy; crying, promising that she would be a better wife...but in his rampage he didn't care, and he continued to circle her like a hungry lion. The first time he watched this, he had to turn it off immediately. He couldn't watch it all the way through, but this time...to his dismay, he knew when the real action was going to happen. He counted the number of times that the husband circled his wife, and on the thirtieth time, he closed his eyes. He heard the sound of the knife cut clean through her body, but still the husband refused to react. The sound of his wife dying failed to faze him, while Booth was settled beside him with bile in his throat and tears in his eyes.

"How did you do it?" the agent asked, his hands clamping tightly onto the chair he was standing behind. "How could you go from so...so extremely happy, to homicidal over the course of...of one year? How could you pledge to love her for the rest of your life, and then simply off her as if she was cattle?"

"There is no explanation," the husband said coolly, his dark hair grimy and unwashed as it fell into his face. "If there was...I would have shown a little bit more emotion when you showed me the playback of my actions."

"You're a sick bastard," Booth laughed, shaking his head and sliding his hand against the nape of his neck. "You realize that correct?"

"I am aware that your insult can be directed towards me correctly...yes," the man nodded, his handcuffed hands completely still within his lap. "Though, that is something I already knew of myself Agent Booth. There is no reason for you to reiterate the obvious."

"You know what...I'm done. Richardson, come on it," Booth muttered, taking the tape out of the VCR and returning it to the evidence bag before he walked into the hallway and scrubbed his hands over his face.

"Booth, are you alright?" Brennan asked, stepping out from the backroom and moving to cup his elbow.

"No Bones, I'm far from alright," he said, holding the tape tightly in his hands, before he moved his arm around her back and hugged her to his side. "Seeing something like this just...it opens my eyes you know?"

"I can't possibly know Booth, you won't let me see the tape."

"And it's for good reason Bones. You heard it in that room, and that was too much. You don't need to see the picture with it."

"I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

"I know, but it's not about that," he whispered, turning to her and holding the tape up between them. "This is something that no normal human can bear to watch. You know I've seen some terrible things, between the Army and here...but this surpasses all of them. Bones, I'll die before I ever let you watch this alright? These are one of those times where you just have to trust me...and listen for once."

She tilted her head and looked up at him, nodding and slowly extracting the tape from his grasp. "Charlie," she whispered, handing the evidence bag over to the slightly rounded man. "Please...place this with the rest of the evidence with this case. Please inform Deputy Director Hacker that Booth and I will be heading home for the day. I think we need to have some time together after a case like this."

"Will do Dr. Brennan," Booth's little informant whispered. "I'm sure everyone will understand. This has sort of hit...all of us, in all the wrong places."

"Thank you," she muttered, reaching up and gently touching her fingers to the side of his face. "Let's go home."

"Alright," he hushed, his eyes falling to the floor, before he sputtered to form words, and instead simply stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. She stretched up to meet him, and her arms circled around his neck; her body being pressed fully to him as he attempted to try and near the reality she gave for him. His breath was ragged against her shoulder, and she tightened her arms around him as tight as she could; silently reminding him that she was always there for him.

~*~*B+B*~*~

"Please, talk to me," she whispered, as she rolled onto her stomach and settled her chin against his chest. He had remained silent since they left the Hoover , and once they returned home, he still refused to speak. They had climbed into bed to try and rid themselves of their exhaustion, but they failed at being able to slip into unconsciousness.

He reached out gingerly and cupped the back of her head; his fingers playing in the soft strands of her hair as his lips moved forward to touch her forehead. He sighed against her skin, and smiled when she softly kissed his chest. "It's just...seeing that video...it made me sick. Seeing the wedding portion of it was...it was beautiful, and it reminded me...of us...but then when it got to the part where he...where he killed her...I just...I couldn't even picture doing ANYTHING to hurt you, and I can't help but wonder what was going through that guys mind when he pledged that he was going to love that woman for...eternity."

"Are you saying you want to get married?" she teased, tracing her finger over his heart as she attempted to lighten the mood.

He smiled at her and chuckled, moving to kiss her forehead once again, as he curled her hair around his finger. "Yeah, but, we'll both know when the time is right," he whispered. "But it's just...I can't understand how one day he can seem so in love with her, and the next...he just...he murderers her. It's not right it...it-"

"Wracks your faith," she muttered, moving her finger from his heart to rest on his cheek. "You are a man who throws himself into situations solely based on what your heart tells you. Seeing someone in love one moment, and then killing that person they love the next rattles you, because you can't face the fact that...some people don't...can't love like you do. Sweetie, some people don't love at all...that man doesn't love...even when he was getting married...he didn't love her."

"That's heart-crushing Bones," he whimpered, reaching up to cover her hand with his own. "I can't imagine living a life without having someone who I loved unconditionally."

"Well, that's the difference between the bad men, and the good men," she assured, leaning up to plant a gentle kiss to his lips. "And you are the epitome of a good man. Sometimes people just...they lose control. Sometimes people don't have any control in the first place. They hear violence calling their name and can't resist their temptations. It's a terribly sad thing that this happens, but it happens, and will always happen. But, it's our job to confine these people, and lock them away to better society."

"I want to know when you got to sentimental," Booth laughed, placing gentle kisses all across her face.

"I have you to blame," Brennan muttered, smiling and laughing when he ducked his head to her neck and softly nibbled on the tender flesh near her collar bone. She squirmed within his hold, and he held her tight to his chest. He delighted in her laugh, and felt his heart soar when she was able to still him, and looked into his eyes with a shining gaze and rosy cheeks. He gently slid his fingers from her forehead to her shoulder, and tugged her closer for a final kiss, before he guided her head to his shoulder, and closed his eyes deliriously.

"I love you," he whispered to her, his strong hold around her solidifying his words.

"And I love you...for eternity. I promise."

"Wow, I did make you sentimental."


	98. The Evidence

**An: Exams tomorrow...fail. Also, I don't want to hear comments about Booth never cheating on everyone, because truthfully I don't care about his morals anymore. As long as he and Brennan get together, no matter HOW it happens, I'm good with it. **

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

_Down the empty corridor to the coroner_  
_It's clear, you've got what they want, and they'll find you_  
_Haunted and haunting, we are followed by shadows_  
_Plagued by what we know_

_Burn the evidence; there's enough to make a case_  
_It's enough to incriminate_

_Her fingers, like spiders  
Spun a web my body couldn't shed_

_-The Evidence (The Receiving End Of Sirens)_

His eyes opened, and he sighed as he reached over and let his fingers touch the golden tendrils resting beside him. He closed his eyes, and sighed softly; his mind imagining mahogany beside him, instead of gold. The growl that left his lips was blatantly directed to himself, and he tore away the blankets covering him before he made his way into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection, and memories resided before his eyes; taunting him, and damning him for the sins he had committed.

He never meant for it to happen. He swore up and down it would never happen again. But despite everything that he told himself, he couldn't stop from grabbing his keys, and making his way to the one place he had been dreaming of for the past 14 nights.

~*~*B+B*~*~

He was on autopilot when she opened the door, but he was careful to be gentle with her when he slammed the door behind them, and used his body to press her against the heavy oak. Their lips joined together automatically, and the feeling of his hard body pressing against her own elicited a soft, core-shattered whimper. His hands ran into her hair, and he pulled back softly so that his lips could nudge against the skin of her jaw; suckling and tasting the sweetness her body wash left behind.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, running her fingers across his nape, and turning her lips to press against his temple. "Especially so late."

"I couldn't get you out of my head," he hushed, pulling back to kiss her gently, before he rested his forehead against her own. "Why can't I get you out of my head?"

"We both know I have no right to answer that," she chuckled, reaching up and resting her hand against his cheek. "But...I'm not going to lie. I've been hoping that you would come. I've missed you."

"Bones, this is so dangerous," he whimpered, moving his arms around her and crushing her to his chest. "We are practically leaping over a bon fire just trying not to get burned."

"I know," she muttered, closing her eyes and burying her face in his neck. "But I could care less if I get engulfed in flames. As long as your here...I'll be fine."

"Let me make love to you," he hushed against her ear; tightening his hold around her and lifting her feet off the ground. Instantly, her legs slid around his waist, and she pulled back to rest her hands on his cheeks. She smiled down at him, and moved forward to bring their lips together. Their tongues touched between them and soft groans rose from the connection they created.

"Yes," she whispered, as he began to nibble on her collar bone. "Yes, yes, yes, Booth...make love to me."

Her words spurred him forward, and he carried her back into her room. He rested her down on her bed gently, and crawled over her as his finger slid from her throat down her body; parting her robe and pushing the edges of silk away from her creamy skin. His hands fell to her hips and he lowered his kisses to her chest; nudging the rest of the smooth fabric away of breast, so he could trace the heavy globes with his appreciative tongue.

She moaned softly, and her fingers dove into the short strands of his hair; keeping him against her passion heated skin. He kissed and nibbled the tender flesh, until he reached her neck, and pulled away to close the gap between their lips. Her nails curled against his back, and she groaned softly as his teeth teased at her lower lip.

"Booth," she whimpered, as their hands worked together to rid him of his clothes."Hmm, I love you."

He shivered at her words, and drove into her quickly; filling her, and stretching her around him as her mouth opened to accommodate her throaty moan. His tears slid from her shoulder to her chest, and she cradled him lovingly to her as her lips pressed against his heated forehead.

"I love you Bones," he choked, as he moved out of her, and slid forward once again. "My god, I love you, so much more than I could ever explain in words."

"Well," she gasped as he continued to move within her. "I think you just did a phenomenal job."


	99. Modern Mystery

**An: This better be EXACTLY how this fucking elevator thing goes.**

**...which means this has spoilers.**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

There is no modern mystery,  
No in-between ancestry.  
I didn't mean to hurt yah.  
Thought I was done,  
But I heard yah.

_-Modern Mystery (Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin)_

Karma is a bitch, especially when you never expected its presence. He had spent the last year trying to condition himself; trying to get away from her so that he could try and forget about the love he still harbored for her...and yet here he sits, in a dark elevator caught between two floors.

They could barely see each other; the light dim and dying out above them. They sat on opposite ends of the small space, contemplating their inner thoughts, and refusing to expose them to each other. In some moments, he would look up and see pain in her eyes, and the sight would bring a crippling sickness upon his being. He had seen that sadness for many months now, and it hurt him even more to know that he was the one that put it there.

But, even though she felt pain, he felt it as well; a deep nagging in his chest that literally pulled at his heart strings. He felt like he was a puppet, being commanded by an unknown source that was out and ready to make his life hell. In the past year he had transformed. He didn't recognize the man that he saw in the mirror...but now that he was confined in this small space with her, he was starting to feel reborn.

The smell of her perfume was swirling around him like the wind's gentle caress; teasing him and triggering a memory of all the days that he had sat just a little too close to her just to smell her perfume. The shadows cast across her face highlighted the perfection of her skin, and in the off chance that she looked up at him, he witnessed her eyes shining. Even though they were shining for all of the wrong reasons, he still found them, and everything else about her beautiful.

Watching her watch him in this darkened elevator, he felt connected with her once again; just like he felt with her before they parted for the other side of the world. He missed feeling so close to her, but he had no one else to blame except himself. He was the one who made himself try to forget her. But at the end of every day, he always asked himself: 'Who could forget Temperance Brennan?'

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely able to be called a voice. The words startled her, and her reverie broke within her eyes before she focused on him. Her lips pouted, and her brows furrowed, in that perfectly adorable way he always admired.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Getting stuck in this elevator had nothing to do with us. It was an electrical malfunction."

"I'm not talking about the elevator Bones. I'm talking about everything else."

"Well, that's vague."

"No, it's accurate," he assured, sighing and resting his head back against the cool wall touching his back. His throat was tight, and he tried to fight against the pain so he could speak the words that should have been spoken the day they came back, and he held her on the mall. "This is probably the last place I should be telling you this...but there are some things I need to tell you."

"Booth, I don't know if I can handle this now," Brennan whimpered. "I find that I am drained of energy all the time now...and I don't feel stable enough to listen to you...just..."

"I know Bones," he whispered, making his way to her side and resting his hand over hers. "I'm sorry, for hurting you so much...but these are words I need to get out in the open."

"Ever since the...the things that you told me in the car that night...I've been thinking about a lot of stuff. I've been thinking about how distant we have become, and how tense our relationship is. I can't get the fact that your always sad out of my mind-"

"Don't pity me," she interrupted, removing her hand from his. "The very last thing I want is your pity."

"Bones, I don't pity you. I worry about you," he amended. "I care about you. I can't stand the fact that you're so...so upset. Especially since I'm the one who did that to you."

"This sounds like something you really shouldn't be telling me," she whispered, turning to look at him. "Hannah is already on edge from you telling her what I told you. If you want to keep your relationship with her...you should just stop now."

"Listen to me," he hushed. "I don't care about everyone else right now...alright? This is something that needs to be said. It's something you must know...I'm sure you've been wondering about it...and it's something that I need to clear up."

"Like I said. I'm sorry, for everything that I've done to you. I've abandoned you, when I promised that I was never going to leave you. I let you slip away, and disproved everything I was trying to prove to you. Bones, what I told you about love being eternal is still true. Even though I met Hannah...I...I'm still in love with you."

The movement beside him was instantaneous. Everything in his body felt hot, and he shut his eyes as he listened to her shuffling throughout the small elevator.

"You're lying," she whispered. "You have to be lying. It's just...it's not right. That's not right! I don't believe you...I...I don't believe you."

The impulse was there, and if the tears weren't streaming down her face, maybe he would have fought it off, but sadly, he was at a loss. He was possessed as he stood and walked to her; closing the space between them in only two steps. Her back was pressed fully against the wall of the elevator, and his touch was soft as he reached up and wiped away her tears. Her eyes were closed; wishing that he wasn't so close to her...that he didn't have the effect on her he had.

But alas he was there, and she was affected. More so after his lips made contract with hers, than before.

The jolt within themselves was there, and electricity fired around the small confinements they were trapped in. His teeth teased at her lip, and her tongue reacted eagerly; opening their kiss and allowing for a whole new wave of passion to fall over them. His hands moved to circle her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck; holding him against her until the tears trailed down her skin caused her to reel back.

"We can't be doing this," she whimpered. "We...we can't. You have a girlfriend. You love her...and this is torture. This isn't proving that you love me...this is proving that...that there is too much in the way for this to happen right now."

"What's in the way is only temporary," he whispered, pressing his lips to her temple. "It can be pushed out of the way."

"But you aren't that kind of man. You aren't the kind of person to just throw one person to the curb for another. And this...this is killing me. You can't just...just kiss me, because...now all I'm going to want to do is...is...kiss you again."

"Then kiss me again," he hushed, reaching up and cradling her cheek.

"I can't. That's the thing. This isn't our reality. Soon, these doors will open, and you will go home to Hannah, and I will go home alone...left to just...long for you, until I find something else to occupy my mind with."

He silenced her frantic words with another kiss, and shook his head once they parted. "No...Bones. Once these doors open...we'll be in a whole new reality."

"How can we be?"

"Hannah and I broke up almost a month ago," he whispered to her. "Because she asked if I ever stopped loving you...and I truthfully answered...no."


	100. Portrait Of A Summer Thief

**An: Short, sweet and to the point. Which is exactly how I like some stories. That and I am obsessed with that sweet smile/longing glance outro to the last episode. It was a winsaur for Hart Hanson. Good job Hart. Keep us rolling in that direction. :D**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

_These summer stars are fading out_  
_Your silhouette reminds me now_  
_Of all the things I wish I could have said_  
_So picturesque and black print dress your darkened hair a perfect mess_

_-Portrait Of A Summer Thief (Sounds Under Radio)_

The smile was his undoing.

The same smile of childish glee that lit her face and surrounded her with a glow that closely mimicked that of the sun's own power. With that silly shell pressed to her ear, she remembered the fonder times of her childhood, and with happiness inflating her heart, she smiled. She smiled that smile that her partner had fallen for years ago.

It was the smile that had crept into his dreams at night, and it was the smile that he remembered when those lonely nights were just too dark to handle alone. It was the smile that he connected to warm, sunny days, and it was the smile that seemed to make everything terrible in the world disappear. When he saw that smile, he forgot. His mind refused to work, as it tried to comprehend the reaction he had to a simple quirk of her lips. Though he was sure he couldn't think because when she was smiling like she was...all he could focus on was the gut wrenching feeling deep in the stomach, and the overwhelming phrase that rang loudly in his ears.

_'She's so beautiful...'_

He felt sick as the thought imprinted itself on his brain. It took a single smile for a whole seven years of feelings to rush back on him like a tsunami. For the past months he had been determined to try and rid his heart of her as much as possible. He had told her that he had to move on, and for a while he thought he had.

But that damn smile just proved him wrong.

In a single flash of pearly white teeth his memory kicked in to full force. He saw her growing through the years; becoming less and less of 'Brennan' and more and more of 'Bones'. He pictured her in the rain, her hair dark and clinging to her skin as they kissed with liquor fueled lust, and burning passion. He could still taste her all these years ago; remembering the slight undertone of alcohol that hung on the sweet tongue his own had fought with.

She tasted like perfection, and hell if he still didn't believe she was perfect.

This wasn't healthy for him. It wasn't healthy for her, and it wasn't fair to anyone in the situation. He was with Hannah now...but now he refused to utter the words he told her he needed. He set off to Afghanistan with a purpose to forget her; to extract her from his life as much as possible, without completely shoving her away from him.

The stars that had been so bright in the desert were faded now, as was the relationship that he had with her. They had exploded, and burned to a point beyond repair; or so he thought, but seeing her...seeing that smile, he felt an unfamiliar emotion bubbling deep within his abdomen.

Regret.

He regretted everything. Propositioning her, not chasing after her when she said no, leaving for Afghanistan, bringing back a blond bombshell that not only served to keep his bed warm at night, but worked as a double standard to send the woman he loved so much into a state of jealousy.

The second the tears spilled from her eyes that night he had become another man.

And now, finally seeing the happiness on her face, thanks to a seemingly meaningless and cheap conch shell, he wished for nothing more than to have that man back.


	101. Dead Men Tell No Tales

**An: I'm sorry this is short. :( I promise I'll try and write more, but if I don't have hardcore inspiration, it might not happen. And if it does, without inspiration, it would probably blow to high heavens! Haha!**

**So this song is loosely talking about betrayal, because it was originally written when one of the lead band members left to pursue his own band. So therfore, I depict Brennan's view of how Booth seemingly betrayed her.**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

_We have tested the buoyancy of loyalty._  
_You left our lungs for canteens._  
_You left our ankles for anchors._  
_We thought your arms were tied behind your back,_  
_But elastic bands tied your hands._  
_You swim with reckless abandon._

_-Dead Men Tell No Tales (The Receiving End of Sirens)_

She was comfortable with science. She was always comfortable with science. Science was the only thing that seemed to remain constant, while everything else around her was changing. Though, she recognized that even as the things around her changed, science was rooted within them.

Such things like loyalty, they held a type of buoyancy that was unique. If someone was able to press upwards against unknown forces, unable to be broken, then loyalty will stand. If something stronger comes along, or your buoyancy becomes weak, then objects will begin to submerge, and your once pure view of loyalty, will be tainted with the outside world.

She was comfortable with science, because science remained constant.

Every since her loyalty had been tainted, she felt the constant sting of abandonment and betrayal. For nights on end she would constantly think of the past, and wish she could return. Though, as science remains constant, the aspect of time travel is simply a science fictional delusion portrayed to entertain the over eccentric mind. She could never return to the times that she had lived through already. She could never take back her mistakes, and as the days passed, she seemed to come to terms with the fact that her regrets, might never be undone.

He had let a blond bombshell taint the buoyancy that kept them in the tight bubble of friendship, and dare she say love. Before Hannah came into the picture, they had been able to stay in a perfect world that contained only themselves. They lived to sustain the other, and worked throughout their days so that they would remain together, and untouched by the world outside. They had lived in a perfect harmony for so long, that it was no wonder she felt so terrible to have that harmony destroyed.

Now she was forced to see the outside world...the world that existed without him, because even though she hated to imagine further, she knew that she would have to come to terms that Booth didn't belong to her anymore. He went to sleep with her at his side, and woke to see her sleeping face. There were no more late night dinners of Chinese, and they didn't dance around her living room to Foreigner. In the short time of seven months, he had become another name in her shoe. He became another person that simply left her to deal with whatever hell the world decided to unleash on her that day.

That thought itself, brought tears to her eyes.

For so long she had believed that he would be the one person that wouldn't leave her, and even though she got to see him everyday, it wasn't the same as it used to be. He didn't smile at her like he used to, and their usual playful touching had diminished completely. The Booth that she had fallen in love with was gone. The only thing that was left was the lifeless shell that she loosely labeled as her 'partner'.

For years she believed that he was practically tied to her; unable to pull himself away from her. Though, instead of the tight ropes she had imagined, reality proved he was bonded with elastic. It was just as easy for him to leave as it was for anyone else.

She didn't understand why she thought he would be different.

She should have known better. Science never lies.


	102. Sleeping Sickness

**An: I throw-back to some old-school BB sweetness don't you think?**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

_

* * *

_

And I'm afraid to sleep because of what haunts me,

_such as living with the uncertainty,  
__that I'll never find the words to say which would completely explain,  
__just how I'm breaking down._

_Someone come and,  
__someone come and save my life.  
__Maybe I'll sleep when I'm dead,  
__but now it's like the night is taking sides.  
__And all the worries that occupy the back of my mind,  
__could it be this misery will suffice?_

_-Sleeping Sickness (City and Colour)_

In the nights that followed her attack, he had been able to swap out sleeping for drinking. His memories, his nightmares, would slip away one by one, with each shot of whiskey that burned down his throat. He lived in a constant cycle of destruction, his body becoming zombie like as he became deprived of one of the most important things that the human body requires. He had become a victim to insomnia...and possibly alcohol poisoning.

He knew it wasn't his fault, and he knew that she was alright, but it seemed that every single time he tried to close his eyes, he would imagine another phone call rattling him from his sleep, to inform him that his partner had been mugged. Surely, she got off only with a bruise on her arm, and a lightly twisted ankle, but the sheer thought of his partner being hurt made him absolutely insane.

So many times over the years, she had been taken hostage, or hurt, to the point that if he wasn't there, she would have been killed. Even if they weren't working a high profile case, they had seen the evil in people, and it would be no surprise if some random teenager in a fucked up situation hurt her in an attempt to take what ever money she had on her person. This world was full of dangers that the living were lucky to dodge, and he had made it his duty long ago, to assist his Bones over any and every danger that posed itself.

And so now he waits. He sits, and he contemplates what he should do with the time that his body is giving him. He tried reading, but he found that focusing on the small lettering gave him a splitting headache. He tried watching TV, but lost interest in the night shows only minutes into the program. He heard his stomach growling fiercely, but he couldn't find the energy in the late hour to stand from his spot on his couch, and drive to get take-out.

Tonight was the one night, that he decided to give his body a break from the constant drinking, and much to his luck, it was the night she decided to surprise him with her appearance.

"Bones?" his voice was gravely and weak; a perfect indication to the insomnia that was weighing down his entire being.

"You look terrible," she whispered, holding up the bags of Chinese in her hand. "I brought you something to eat. I noticed that today at lunch you didn't seem all that compelled to eat your fat and grease engrossed hamburger that you love so much."

"Hmm, thanks for that Bones," he grumbled, stepping to the side and allowing her to step into his apartment. "You didn't have to bring anything though. It's kinda late. I would have thought that you would have gone to bed by now."

"Did I come at a bad time?" she asked, nervously glancing around to check that they were the only two in the apartment.

"It's not like that," he started to explain, but simply let it drop, and reached out to take her hand. "I'm glad your here. It was sweet of you to drop by."

The smile that lit up her face was gorgeous, and the small blush that crept to her cheeks brought back energy that he had long ago lost. Every single day she proved that she was amazing, and each of those days, he couldn't get over how absolutely adorable he thought she was.

"I have your favorite, but extremely gross beer in the fridge," he offered. "Go ahead and grab one, and I'll start setting up our meals."

"My beer is not gross, it's made, specially, in Brazil."

"Yeah, Bones, it's gross."

"No it's not! I find your normal, red meat prominent diet to be repulsive, but I don't to constantly tease you about it."

"You do tease me about it. Or, at least tell me I'm going to die, or my penis is going to shrink if I continue to eat the way I do."

"Well...it's true Booth, whether you listen to me or not."

"I'm fine Bones. Both, with the not dying aspect...and the other, point, I've brought up, okay?" he asked, shaking his head and stepping around her. "Just get your nasty beer, and come sit down with me."

"Only," she said, as she opened his refrigerator, and grabbed beer for both of them. "If you tell me why, exactly, you seem to be so tired."

"It's nothing," he brushed off quickly, nodding to her in thanks when she extended one of his beers to him, and plopped down on the couch beside him. "I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep that's all."

"Booth, you look like you're almost dead. Your face is considerably paler, your eyes have faded of color, and you have bags under your eyes that look like bruises," she explained, softly moving her chop sticks through her lo mien. "Please tell me what's wrong. Why are you have trouble sleeping? Are you having nightmares?"

"Not really, I haven't been sleeping at all," he explained, scrubbing his face roughly, before he brought a small amount of food into his mouth. "I just...I feel worried, and because I feel worried, I can't sleep."

"Worried?" she whispered, glancing down to the small brace that circled around her foot. "You mean about me?"

"Yeah...Bones," he grumbled quietly. "Yeah, I'm worried about you."

"Why are you worried about me?"

"Because I was called to the hospital at almost two in the morning, because my partner got mugged."

"Booth, I wasn't hurt. I hurt that man ten times more than he hurt me. Besides, the drug store is only a block away from my apartment. I found it pointless to drive there."

"I know that, and I know that you can take care of yourself, but just the thought that something so much worse could have happened to you...something that I couldn't have been able to stop...that's what keeps me up at night, Temperance. It's the worry that there might be a time that I won't be able to save you, that constantly keeps me awake. I try to sleep, but wonder what will happen if you need me during the night, and call, but I can't hear my phone. Or, you come banging on my door and I don't answer because I simply can't hear you."

"You're a sniper trained, FBI agent. You see right through me, and you know the truth just by listening to your gut," she pointed out. "I know for a fact that you are a very light sleeper...but I also know for a fact that you worry way too much. I'm a grown woman, and I don't have people out for my blood. Booth, I am fine, but you're killing yourself by thinking that something terrible is going to happen to me."

"I don't know what to do," he muttered. "I can't sleep no matter what, and I don't want to go to a doctor and start having to pop all these pills. People will think I've gone off the deep end."

"Though, I think your wrong about your assumption that people would think less of you for taking medicine for insomnia, I...I have a better idea."

"What is that?" he asked, glancing to her and noticing that her adorable blush had returned once again.

"S-stay with me...or, I stay with you," she said quietly. "That way, if you wake up in the middle of the night, I'll be right beside you, and you can go back to sleep peacefully. I can't stand to have my partner so exhausted. I worry about your health, and I worry about you out in the field. Without any energy your body can't pick up on dangerous situations as well as it could if you were-"

"Bones, you don't have to force rationality on me just to sleep with you," he teased, standing up so he could move their uneaten food into the refrigerator. "You know you're always welcome in my bed."

"You aren't sleeping 'with' me, you're sleeping beside me," she stuttered, glancing down to her laced fingers to hide the blood creeping to her cheeks.

"Either way, I have a feeling you just want to sneak into my bed, Temperance Brennan."

"And I have a feeling that your lack of sleep has caused you to be completely delusional. If I were more socially 'proper' I believe the appropriate come back would be: 'In your dreams'."

"I guess we'll both find out the answer to that tonight, now won't we?"


	103. The Permanent Rain

**An: CUTENESS! :D**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

**...the fucking text won't center. -,-**

_

* * *

So where the hell's my hope,  
and why can't I just try?  
You know I've lost a lot,  
but I won't let this die.  
I know I've got a friend up in the atmosphere,  
and another reason not to fear the sky;  
No, not tonight._

_-The Permanent Rain (The Dangerous Summer)_

"Do you think she is proud of me?"

"I know she is," Max assured; keeping his eyes on the name of his passed wife carved into smooth granite. "Why?"

"Even though I don't believe that she is actually looking down on me and judging my actions," Brennan ranted; slowing and sucking in a deep breath. "It's just...it's nice to think that she's proud of me."

"Darling, despite everything that has happened...everything that we did, your mother was always proud of you. I know you don't believe this, but in my heart, I know she is looking over you. She's always been a special kind of guardian angel."

"I suppose you're correct," she smiled; absently pulling at the grass of the graveyard that brushed her hip. "Anthropologically, adults are programmed to reproduce and then protect their young; especially the woman."

"Speaking for yourself their sweetheart?" Max laughed; reaching over and resting his hand on his daughter's leg.

"Of course," the anthropologist smirked.

"It's amazing...you're the spitting image of your mother."

"I thought she always said I was just like you."

"Reflex wise," Max laughed. "You, my daughter, have always been kick ass. Always quick to keep yourself from getting hurt, but emotionally...when you're that woman that has hibernated within you for so long...that's your mother."

"You have Booth to thank for on that matter."

"I thank him every day."

"Really?"

"Of course," he smiled. "He makes you happy. I thank him for taking care of you, when I couldn't, and I thank him for continuing to take care of you and my little Lexi."

"I wish she could meet mom," she whispered. "Their genetic markers are strangely similar."

"Except, I think Lexi is even more outgoing than your mother. That little girl of yours has no fear, but she has your intelligence. She's the definition of a perfect child."

With the over looking oak against their backs, and the sound of a car nearing in the air, the father and his daughter smiled at each other. A soft laugh left their lips, and their eyes turned to the roads as they recognized a familiar black SUV nearing where they sat. She stood happily, and extended her hand to help up her aging father, before a sweet and high pitched voice called out one of the many names she now answered to.

"Mommy!"

"Slow down Lex," Booth smiled. "You remember what I told you about those stones right?"

"Oh, yeah," the little four year old girl smiled; side stepping and moving closer to her father. "Sorry dead people!"

"You're corrupting our child," Brennan accused as she crouched down and wrapped her baby in her arms. "What are you going to 'teach' her next?"

"How to put her toys back in her room so I'll stop tripping on them," he stated; sneering playfully before he ruffled the soft brown curls that fell around his daughter's shoulders.

"Why don't you just look down when you walk?" Lexi asked. "Then you won't step on my toys anymore."

"She has a point," Brennan smiled; reaching up and resting her hand against her husband's cheek.

"I have a problem looking down because I think your mommy is too pretty to stop looking at," he explained; moving his arm around his wife's back, as his lips pressed against her cheek.

"Gross," Lexi grumbled; reaching her little hand out and pressing against her dad's cheek.

"You guys are too cute," Max smiled; laughing and reaching for his granddaughter when she reached out and called his name. "How are you Lexi? How has your early start school been?"

"It's so much fun!" Lexi said excitedly. "We play a lot of the time, but today, Brooke and I made the tallest tower in the class! We got a special ribbon and our teacher took a picture of it with us! Brooke thought of the tower design, but I was behind making it stand. She put too many blocks on the top, and it fell before I told her we should put more blocks on the bottom."

"You get all that brain power from your mom. Wait until you get a little bigger, you and I can do all sorts of fun experiments!"

"We need some balance here," Booth said as his thumb rubbed at Brennan's hip. "From this point of view, it looks like I'll have two squinty children. One of them needs to go into law enforcement."

"You can't control what your kids want to do when they grow up," Brennan laughed. "If they both want to be scientists, then they will both be scientists."

"Maybe we should have another kid that will follow in my footsteps."

"Yeah, you're funny," she laughed; moving her arms around his waist. "Should we head to the school to pick up Parker?"

"Probably," he nodded. "Sorry Max, but I have to steal away your girl."

"I'll come visit you soon," Max whispered to the little one in his arms. "We'll go to the park and you can show me that swing set trick you told me about a couple days ago."

"It's a deal," Lexi smiled; curling her little fingers into a fist, and touching her fist with her grandfather's, before she turned away to be lifted into her dad's arms. "I love you grandpa Max!"

"I love you too baby doll," Max said, as he reached for Brennan, and hugged her quickly before he kissed her temple. "And I love you. Dinner sometime this week?"

"Sounds wonderful," Brennan nodded. "Parker misses you."

"How about Friday night?" Booth asked. "Parker doesn't have practice and we most likely won't have a case to work on."

"It's a date," Max accepted. "I'll see you all Friday."

"Bye," they all said; watching the older man walk away, before they turned their attention inward.

"Are you ready to go get your brother?" Booth asked; bouncing Lexi on his hip.

"Yeah! I drew him a picture today. It's him, with Rex chewing one of his hockey pucks! Brooke helped me with some of it. She's a better artist than I am. She told me that Aunt Angela said I could come home with Brooke one day and she would teach us how to paint really pretty pictures!"

"We'll have to do that soon," Brennan smirked. "Angela has been going through Lexi withdraw. She asks me every single day when you are going to spend the night with her, Hodgins and Brooke again."

"We'll figure something out his weekend," Booth promised. "But Parks is probably waiting. Say goodbye to the dead people."

"Bye dead people!" Lexi screamed, laughing and reaching out when Booth turned towards his SUV. "Bye grandma."

The soft voice of her daughter brought tears to her eyes, and she turned around to look back at her mother's grave. A small smile touched her lips, and she tried to form words before she heard Booth calling for her.

"Bones! Bones...are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured, turning to her husband, and reaching up to cover her daughter's eyes before she closed the space between Booth's lips and her own. "I love you," she whispered to him; laughing sweetly as Lexi reached up and pushed away her mom's hand.

"Let's go daddy! We need to get my brother!"

"Okay okay, we're going, we're going."

"Say bye to grandma though!" Lexi exclaimed. "We can't just leave without saying goodbye!"

"Bye Christine," Booth smiled; opening the door and placing Lexi in her car seat.

"You too mommy. Say bye to grandma."

"Good bye mom," the scientist whispered to open air; a warm feeling of happiness swelling in her heart, as her words carried to the memory she liked to imagine resided within the clouds.


	104. Girls and Boys in School

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

_

* * *

_

_Play me down my lover_  
_Like we're undercover  
__Like we're in a fresh veneer  
__Like all the girls and boys in school_

_Our anticipation  
__And our bad behaving  
__It's like we learned our lesson  
__But conveniently forgot the rules.  
__  
-Girls and Boys in School (Neon Trees)_

He was sure that he knew her skin better than anyone else's, because he was sure that he was the first to take hours, upon hours, to simply worship her. Every inch of her he had kissed. Every inch of her he had touched. And every inch of her, he loved...though, for the sake of both of their sanities, he kept that quiet.

He didn't remember the pivotal moment where they fell together and ended up in a tangle of limbs and passion, because that tangle presented itself multiple times a day. Though, it was not the most ideal situation. Somehow, fate had thrown them together, but they were thrown together at the wrong time. They weren't ready to be together, but they didn't want to turn back.

So they decided to be lovers. Lovers, completely hollow of love.

It sounds like a stupid idea, and he agreed wholeheartedly, but he had spent years of his life loving this woman, while remaining held at arms length. He was finally given the opportunity to become closer to her, and he would be fucking insane not to take the option given to him, no matter how much it killed him to know that he fell asleep beside a woman that didn't love him.

He could be positive, and simply believe that she was scared of something more, but it had been years, and they were done playing that game. This was a matter of yes, or no, and he was positive that the answer was no. She was the kind of woman that didn't want to be held down emotionally. In her heart, she was cool and collected. But when you judged her by her body...by her passion...good lord, with her passion she was reserved a prime spot in the second circle of hell.

They were a cheating couple, in a sense. Cheating against the innocent image they have both indulged in, with the darkness of reality. They were engaging in a fleeting affair; making love by placing a veneer over their lust, and pretending that everything was real. Everything about them was pretend, but it was a pretend life that he couldn't give up. It was a life that he was dependent on. He was addicted.

The days passed and he learned to forget his emotions. His heart had become hollow, and he forgot about the pain of being with her. Instead he focused on the pleasure. He focused on the quick meet ups at her apartment during lunch, and he focused on the treats she gave him in his office. He focused on their weekend in an inn in Maryland, and the night they spent in her office.

In his mind, he was back in high school; spending nights with gorgeous women, but in the end, keeping his feelings to himself. Though, every night he wondered, as his fingers passed through the soft tendrils of her hair; how long would this resolve last? How much longer could he pretend that he was so broken, that he physically couldn't love at all? How much longer could he hide the fact that she was the only thing he wanted for the rest of his life?


	105. Stand On Your Feet

**An: Short, but...at least it's an update. :D**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

_Stand on your feet now  
__Your willingness to be ignorant is what's wearing me down  
__I detached my heart from you long ago._

_I don't ever wanna fall in love again  
__Don't wait for me, I'm no saint, you'll see  
__But if I do, I bet I'll never fall for you, not for you.  
__I don't ever wanna fall in love again  
__Don't wait for me, I'm no saint, you'll see  
__But if I do, I bet I'll never fall for you, fall for you._

_-Stand On Your Feet (The Audition)_

Her chest constricted painfully as she glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of her computer, and then glanced into the lab. At two in the morning with blurring vision and burning eyes she remained alone to the cold sterility of her work place. Even without Hannah, he was preoccupied with things other than her. Deep down she couldn't blame him though. She had hurt him. She had done the one thing she had sworn to never do and in return she believed she deserved every ounce of pain he was going to press upon her.

She knew she needed to get some sleep, but once she glanced at the clock she felt all need for energy drain her. She had felt this weak for months, why prolong the torturous withering of her body? She was nothing more than a hallow shell, and she saw no real advantage of removing herself from that state.

Self-destructive? Maybe, but after this case she felt broken; as if a prominent part of her had dislocated from her body, and disappeared into recesses unknown. He didn't believe that she thought the world of him, but she was in the wrong for ever thinking that he would do anything other than something wonderful for mankind as a whole. He was a beautiful person, gifted with a kind heart and an ever working mind. To her, he was the closest thing to a god that she would believe in, and in the sense of her belief in him, she remains alone; waiting and hoping that he would think of her and show up to drag her away like he used to.

But no matter how much she hoped, she knew it wouldn't happen. He had moved on, and left her abandoned in a dark place she didn't recognize. She had loved and lost, and that hurt ten times more than not loving at all.

~*~*B+B*~*~

What the hell was he doing?

The sound of the constant clashing of the chains holding the large black heavy bag had become engrained within his brain. For hours he would punch that bag until the skin of his knuckles had been scraped away and he was left with tender, raw flesh. His anger was never ending; fueled by anger at himself...anger at the world...anger towards her.

Her innocent blue eyes and quivering lip were his undoing. He knew he was hurting her, but it was the only way to try and keep her at arms length. He was consumed by a monster he couldn't fight off. At night, he would hate himself for treating her like he was, but the next morning that creature would be well rested and ready to tear apart the flesh of those who hurt him the most. He was hellbent for blood, no matter who he took down in the process.

His muscles ached and shook against the tension and power held in every one of his punches. He felt fatigue like an anvil pressing into his shoulders, until eventually he crumbled to the ground, and rested on his back as the bag slowly swung to a halt. He exercised more these days; working to release all energy from his body so he could force himself to sleep. If he didn't, who knows how many nights he would be awoken because he saw her passionate cerulean gaze. She never left his mind, no matter what distance or situation separated them. He was madly in love with her...but he had forced himself to detach his heart from her long ago. Now all he was left with was a bleeding heart; pumping wildly to try and make up for the loss of synchronization between them. He felt cold and alone...and pissed. Good god was he pissed.

"Bones," he groaned; scrubbing his heels of his hands against his eyes. "I can't keep doing this. I can't fall in love with you again..."

Again...he laughed. To hell with 'again'...he had never stopped loving her. All he had done was snuffed out the flames in an attempt that they wouldn't spark back to light. But Temperance Brennan had an ethereal fire that was ever glowing. She was the single representation of light, and happiness...drawing him from this dark hole he resided in now.

But that ethereal fire had burned him, and now he was terrified of that happiness. He didn't want to fall in love again. He didn't want to love her. He was just wanted to be left alone. He wanted peace for once in his fucking life. He wanted to be able to stand on his own two feet without having to hold onto something for support. He wanted to be his own man.

But who was he, if he didn't have Temperance Brennan to identify himself with?


	106. ET

**So, huge AU here, but it was fun to right, and a pretty badass idea in my head. I have no idea if I executed it properly, so please tell me what you think. :)**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

_You're from a whole other world  
__A different dimension  
__You open my eyes  
__And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light_

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me  
__Infect me with your love and  
__Fill me with your poison_

_Take me, ta-ta-take me  
__Wanna be a victim  
__Ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien  
__Your touch so foreign  
__It's supernatural  
__Extraterrestrial_

_-E.T. (Katy Perry)_

She felt her brain cells depleting as she listened to the quick babbling of the man standing before the woman she reluctantly called her partner. Special Agent Perotta, though very insightful in her own way, was one who liked to ignore cognitive evidence for her digestive system, while she, Dr. Temperance Brennan, remained a scientist in every aspect of her being.

Her eyes roamed over the body before her, and with careful, gloved hands, she reached out to peel away the silvery covering wrapped around the body. The flesh appeared fried, but that was no surprise under this desert sun. The remains had long since been seared to the covering, and empty, hollow eye sockets stared upwards towards the blistering sun, while the man who found the remains went on and on about his theories.

"I'm telling you man," he said; his voice flustered, and the wisps of air around his head beginning to stick away from his skull. "It's an alien. I swear to God. I...I saw a light, and heard...heard these strange voices. They spoke in a language I didn't understand. I heard the thud of this body, and then the light disappeared. Look on the shoulder, I bet there is some sort of bite mark there."

Brennan rolled her eyes, but decided to humor the idiot, and looked to the clavicle. Indeed, two indentations were made against the fried flesh, but the wound was easy for her to identify. She had seen it hundreds of times before.

"These bite marks on the clavicle are the teeth markings of the canis latrans," she explained; sighing when the man stared at her with blank, and terribly blood-shot eyes. "Coyote."

"No...no, no, no," he cried. "No, they're trying to fool you. They can change form. They mask their markers. They're coming for us. They're coming for us!"

"Alright," Perotta sighed; extending her hand forward and calling the cop standing on the perimeter of the scene. "Please take Mr. Matthews to the station. I'll need to speak with him further on this case, get a legitimate report...and confront him about the ounce of marijuana found under the front seat of his car."

"I swear dude," Matthews laughed, shaking his head. "That is so not mine. It must have fallen out of my girlfriend's pocket last night when we-"

"Too much information," Perotta interrupted; nodding once the cop handcuffed Matthews and drug him towards a nearby cruiser. "So, Bren, what do you have for me?"

"A dead body," Brennan said bluntly, looking up at her partner with distaste. "I can't do much of a cursory examination here, with the flesh seared as it is. All I can tell you is that it's a woman, mid to late thirties, poor dental health, and Caucasian in ethnicity."

"Sounds like every other nut job that runs around these parts," the blond agent sighed. "I can't wait to work with the drunks and paranoid conspiracy theorists that this wonderful part of America has to offer."

"Are you being sarcastic, because I truthfully can't tell if you are simply voicing your distaste for the people around here, or if you are actually excited to speak with them."

"Get a clue Bren," Perotta chuckled, as she turned away from the woman crouched by the remains and nodded to the techs searching the underbrush. "Get that monstrosity to the morgue. Please listen, and obey Dr. Brennan. Get her whatever fancy things she needs to solve this case. I wanna be up and out of the Boonies as soon as possible."

"Thanks Peyton," Temperance hissed; standing and stripping away her gloves while Perotta strutted off as if she was meant to walk the runway instead of traipse through the deadly deserts bordering Mexico. She didn't understand why she called this woman her partner, and she didn't understand why she still agreed to work with her even when she hated her so much.

"Make sure you get everything from the surrounding area," she growled over her shoulder, to the graduating techs that interned for the FBI. "If I have to come out here at midnight, someone will be skewered with the largest, and sharpest object I can obtain. Am I clear?"

"Ye...yes Dr. Brennan," a pimply faced boy stuttered; turning back to his friend and hurriedly packing up the remains.

It was going to be a long case.

~*~*B+B*~*~

She was an idiot.

Why the hell did she let those two ignorant, and terrified teenagers gather her remains?

_'This is your own fault Temperance. All pay the price for stupidity.'_

Armed with only a flashlight, Temperance Brennan trudged through the heavy sands of the desert; destined for the crime scene. When she had been able to clean away the bones, and allowed the pathologist of a nearby city to exam the flesh, she noticed that the victim's once full dentition, had lost many teeth in the transport stage. She had made sure at the initial scene that all teeth were in place, and now she was destined to sift through the sand in hopes to find at least one of the ten teeth that had since fallen from this poor woman's head.

She sighed as she reached the yellow police tape that squared off the crime scene, and she threw the plastic away from her in haste as she ducked under the barrier. Crouching where she had been before she glanced around the scene and slowly scanned the area; searching for the dull white bones hidden somewhere within the sand. She reached out tentatively to brush her fingers through the soft grains, but as soon as she felt the heat lingering from the day prior, a flash of light blinded her, and she fell to her hip.

She huffed and stood with difficulty; feeling as if the bright light that was burning her squinting eyes, was also weighing down her bones. She caught a flash of movement within the painful rays, and groaned as the veins within her head swelled and pressed against her skull. The splitting headache quickly turned into a migraine, and she screamed in pain as her nails clawed at her temples in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

Something soft brushed against the back of her neck, and she shivered at the initial freezing cold of the substance that touched her skin. The coolness remained on her, even as the rest of her body was bursting into a clammy sweat. She felt the pain of her migraine seemingly seep from that single point on her neck, and even as the light remained blinding and hot, she felt relaxed and peaceful.

"What the fuck are you doing?" the voice she heard was easily distinguishable as that of a woman. She could see nothing more than her shadow as she stood as a silhouette against the blinding light.

"Saving you from your stupidity," this time, the voice came from that of a man. Deep and methodical, she felt her tension relieving at the pulsing spot on her neck, as if triggered by his voice. With weak limbs, she reached up to try and touch the back the point, but the second she tried to move, the light shut off and she dropped into the sand.

"We need to harvest her, and get the fuck out."

"You really have no patience do you?" the man asked; his broad shoulders and trim waist coming into view as he stood between her limp body, and the angered woman standing with fire in her nearly black eyes.

"Not when it's my life on the line."

"All of our lives are on the line," he explained. His brown eyes colored with a golden rim when turned to her, and as if she was made of metal, she felt the veins in her bones try to pull her towards him. Her throat grew dry as she looked upon his handsome face and as she tried to force words to leave her lips, he crouched down to meet her face to face. "Are you alright?"

"Who fucking cares?" the woman at his side hissed; her skin a shining ivory, and her hair the color of blood. She advanced towards the crumbled scientist, but before her foot touched the ground, the unknown man had stood and the sound of ripping flesh filled the air. Brennan's eyes adjusted slowly, until she took in the scene before her.

With his hand at her throat, the woman stood perfectly still; trying her best to avoid piercing her arteries on the sharp, curved blades that had extended from his intermediate phalanges. The weapons in question shimmered against the desert moonlight, and she couldn't faintly see the writing of an unknown language sketched into the blades in neon blue ink.

"You don't know what you are doing Nephele," he hissed. "Now, you are no longer needed here. Go back to the base, and tell them that I have her."

"How are you going to get back without the craft?" she asked; coughing when he dropped his hand from her neck, and retracted the blades into his skin. "You can't just...tele-...I mean walk, there. After The Scientist sent you into that rage you can't control jack shit."

"I will be fine. I've been doing better. I have enough control to get there. I need you to get out of here."

"What if you get yourself killed? Dammit Seeley, if you die we're all screwed. We left Ransom alone...look what happened to him."

"He didn't have her," he explained; nodding to Brennan who was intently watching the display before her. "Nor did he have the common sense to stop talking to himself. Now, I'll ask nicely one more time before I forcibly tie you to the craft. Go away...I will be back in six hours at most."

"Fine," the woman now named Nephele growled. "But if you get into trouble, don't expect me to come flying to save your ass."

"I will have no trouble," Seeley muttered; turning away from the angered woman and towards Brennan's crumbled form. He reached out for her, and without identifying that engaging with him might be dangerous; her hand rose to lace with his own. A spark shot through her skin, and she felt as if a divine energy was resting within her. She felt as if she was glowing, but alas she remained the same. "How is your head?"

"Fine now," she whispered, feeling as if she was an idiot unable to form a proper sentence. "What...who...are you?"

"It might be a little too early for you to learn that information," he chuckled, shooting her a charm smile that made her weak at the knees. "I understand that you are here for something important, but it would be wise that we return to your previous location."

"Well, unless you are magnetic to bone-"

She stopped speaking; her eyes widening as she looked into his palm, and counted all the ten teeth she had been searching for. "How did you do that?"

"It's too early for you to learn that as well," he smirked. "Now, please, tell me where you were before you decided to take a tour of the desert at one in the morning."

"The Quemado city morgue."

"Good, let's go."

"Wait," she growled. "Why should I go with you? What I just watched was the furthest thing from normal, and I find that I am...really...confused. You've refused to tell me anything of use to me, and I know better than to walk off with strange men that somehow can shoot blades from their fingers."

Seeley huffed and shook his head; gently tugging on the edges of his leather jacket in an attempt to shield away the sand hitting against his skin with the rising wind speeds. He closed his eyes and growled; opening his lids to her to once again to show her the golden ring around his irises. She felt the breath leave her lungs, and without him saying a word, she simply nodded, and took the hand that he extended towards her.

~*~*B+B*~*~

"Will you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Brennan growled, as Seeley practically shoved her towards the skeleton rested on the pathetic steel table placed in the middle of the equally pathetic room that was once a large fallout shelter.

"Work," he demanded. "I need you to tell me anything you can about this woman."

"I can't do that," she stated. "Her murder is a federal-"

"I could care less about the federal government in this little world," he hissed. "You are working for heretics, falsifiers, and frauds. I, unlike those who you work for, am none of these things. Now please, just...help me."

"How can I trust you if you don't tell me anything?" Brennan asked; sighing and scrubbing her fingers against her scalp, even as the point in her neck felt like a constant massage. "I am a scientist, I need quantifiable evidence. I need truth. So, enlighten me. And please inform me why I'm not as terrified as I imagine I should be."

"Temperance, we don't have the time to speak."

"How do you know my name?"

"Jesus Christ, do you never stop asking questions?"

"Do you ever start giving answers?"

She watched his fists clench as he gripped the table, and she could have sworn that she physically saw the air blow from his nose. He looked up at her, and she noticed that the golden circle had disappeared; leaving behind eyes the color of the finest milk chocolate. His thin lips turned upwards in a smile, and he turned to look around the building, before he shoved a box on the floor into the window, and ordered her to shut the locks resting against the door.

"Alright," he grumbled. "I can tell that I'm not going to get anywhere until I answer your questions...so...go ahead."

"What are you?"

"Tough question."

"That isn't an answer."

"There is no such answer."

"That's impossible," she growled. "You can't be here, and not be identified as something."

"You're a genius. Can't you name me to your own acceptable terms?"

"I cannot. Which is exactly why I am asking what you are."

He murmured and shook his head; glancing down to his hands and turning them over so he could allow the blade accentuations of his fingers to cut through his skin. He heard the soft intake of her breath; as if she was actually concerned; as his skin ripped and revealed raw flesh underneath. Though, to her interest, no blood touched his fingers. He looked up to gauge her reaction, and much to his surprise he saw pure curiosity and interest. "I'm an alien."

The interest within her could have been heard shattering a million miles away. "An alien?"

"That's about as simple as I'm ever going to be able to explain it."

"Son of a bitch," she hissed. "I can't believe I fell for this joke."

"It is no joke," he laughed, extending his hands forward. "Feel for yourself. You want evidence, well, come and take it."

Brennan looked at him and shook her head; walking around the autopsy table, and reaching out with tentative hands. She wasn't sure if she was physically scared of touching him, or if she was scared of the knowledge she might learn, but deep down, her thoughts were reluctant as to his claim. Her fingertips slid against his own as she began her analysis, and instantly she shivered at the freezing temperature of his skin.

"What is your internal body temperature?"

"292.77 kelvin."

"19.62 degrees Celsius?" she asked, breathing out roughly when he nodded his head. "Well...that's one abnormality that suggests you aren't fully human."

"That and...you know...the blades sticking out of my fingers."

"You're also a smart-ass, phenomenal," she muttered under her breath. "You're muscle definition is off...and your bones feel heavy. What is your bone mineral density?"

"7.53 grams per square centimeter," he chuckled. "Do you expect everyone to know their specific bone density?"

"No, I do not, I simply assumed that you would know," she whispered. "Doing such made me uncomfortable in what I was asking, but I'm amazed. No wonder your bones are so heavy. How can that even be possible?"

"It isn't," he stated simply. "At least, not for humans."

"White blood cell count?"

"In the millions."

"Resting heart rate?"

"Why don't you feel for yourself?" he asked; allowing his blades to slide back into place, before he grasped her wrist and moved to press her palm against his chest. His eyes remained clear of emotion as he stared into her own; her blue orbs reflecting multitudes of mixed emotions and numbers passing through her head. He could see the extent of her knowledge written within her eyes as if he were reading it from a book. He heard her sigh softly when he pressed harder, and finally allowed her to feel the barely beating heart that rested within his chest. He was a confusing specimen to her, and her thoughts that he heard within his ears were simply a jumbled mess, before one soft comment caught his attention.

"Thank you," he whispered; curling his fingers around her own, while she turned her head in confusion.

"What? I didn't say anything."

"You said I'm gorgeous, well...you didn't say it. You thought it."

"Now that's impossible," she murmured; finding her attention being drug away by the soft beating of his heart. She swore it felt like a gentle caress, instead of the traditional thump she knew so well.

"So is all of the other things about me," he explained. "I told you. I'm not human, but we do not identify ourselves with a set name. We are ever changing, ever evolving. It is ludicrous to stick ourselves with labels that will change in minutes."

"Ever changing? Like...form...shifting?"

"If we really want to," he nodded. "Though, I find it counterproductive to devolve into something we have far surpassed hundreds of years ago."

"How can you read my thoughts?"

"I can read your entire mind," he chuckled. "Or rather...I could. I cannot anymore. I can barely read your thoughts, even with you as close as you are."

"Does proximity have anything to do with the effects?" Brennan whispered, her voice fighting to be scientific, even as he knew exactly what he was doing to her. He chuckled and dropped her hand; stepping backwards and shrugging his shoulders.

"I hear nothing now," Seeley explained. "When you were that close to me I could see the equations in your eyes...the knowledge passing through your mind as you tried to quantify what I am. It was only when you were able to feel my heart that I could begin hearing your thoughts. I can't see or hear anything unless I'm touching those who I want to learn from."

"What was it like before?" she asked. "What did you mean when you said you could read my entire mind?"

"You heard Nephele speak of The Scientist correct? Well, these people who we fight against; also unquantifiable in their own way, are led by this madmen who likes to refer to himself as The Scientist. Though I'm not the smartest person out of our bunch of people, those we fight against are complete idiots. They know nothing about moving forward, and find pleasure in reveling in the ever passing present. The Scientist captured me years ago, and preformed an experiment on me that stripped me of my genetic coding. From there I lost all of my abilities, and I had to learn from scratch...starting with self-control. We are encoded with a levelheadedness that is barely toppled. When he harvested my genomes I lost that control, and went into what my people call 'The Rage'. I didn't speak. I didn't reason. All I did was kill, and destroy, and hurt. I have since learned how to control myself, but that control will slip easily if I overdo myself. Such as, teleporting. I know I sound like a bad sci-fi novel, but we do posses that ability. It takes a lot of energy, and it's hard to relearn. I've tried before, and only succeeded two out of seven times."

"Then how to expect to get back to these friends of yours?"

"Short distances are not a problem," he explained. "If I get close enough to our base, I will be able to transport myself up to the ship. But, from here, I can do nothing."

"From my professional opinion...you have placed yourself in a very bad situation."

"Maybe," he chuckled. "But at least I'm here with you. Now, since I've answered your questions, will you please help me?"

"It is unethical for me to divulge any information about an ongoing murder case."

"Temperance...this isn't murder," he stated; nodding to the bones. "Examine the bite marks again. Sure, they look like coyote, but tell me what is special."

Brennan sighed and shook her head; turning to the bones and leaning down to examine the clavicle. She rested on her elbows, and stepped back to accentuate the curve of her spine. Seeley stood behind her and smiled, teasingly sliding his finger along her spine and physically making her jump.

"If you want any set answers, I would suggest you don't do that."

"What do you see?" he asked, ignoring the subject and nodding to the indentations in the bone. "This should have been obvious from the start."

"Oh...wow," she whispered. "The...the placement of the marks. They suggest coyote, but, their dental arch is-"

"Human," he finished for her. "Believe it or not but that crazy kid speaking with your lady friend this morning was right. He saw The Scientist's herd. They tend to take on the forms of the canis genus, just because they feel more powerful."

"So what did they want with this woman?"

"Food," he explained. "They drink marrow from the bones. Have you not noticed how light they are?"

"I didn't get much time to examine them," she stated. "I had incompetent techies, and had to walk out into the desert to find missing teeth. But, yes, I did notice that a few bones were extremely light. I was researching specific bone deformations that could have lead to such an occurrence, but came up with nothing."

"That's because people don't know about us," he stated bluntly, smiling when she fixed him with a glare.

"Alright," she chuckled. "Then what about me?"

"What about you?"

"What about me is so important? You said the reason you would be safe was because of me. Why do you need my help? And what was your friend trying to harvest from me?"

Instantly she saw his super human body tense up. His eyes darkened to a color that matched charcoal, and she feared momentarily that he would hurt her for asking such questions, but instead, he reached out with a tentative finger, and gently brushed his cool fingers against the side of her face. "She wants your mind."

"My mind?"

"Yes," he whispered; closing his eyes as he tried to break through the barriers obstructing his senses. "You have information hidden deep within your conscious from the scientists that existed within your family. Their information and knowledge has remained stored deep within your mind, and that information is enough to either wipe out The Scientist's pack, or kill my people. Our feud has gone on for far to long, and both I and The Scientist believe so, so extremes are being met, and we have a World War on our hands. If we don't neutralize them, the world you know will cease to exist."

"Well, why can't I just give it to you?" she asked; breathless and fighting the urge to touch him as his thumb slid against her face.

"Because even you can't access it," he whispered. "No one can, unless you are killed. I have theories, tests our scientists can perform, but I don't want to treat you like some kind experiment. I am here to protect you, but I'm also here for your help. I need to know how this woman died, and I need you to tell me quickly. Time is running out."

"I don't jump to conclusions."

"Don't jump," he explained; turning her and softly pressing her up against the autopsy table. His chest conformed to her back, and he held onto her hands as his lips moved against her ears. "Tell me facts."

She felt wired; driven somewhere between bone shattering lust and incomprehensible focus that now controlled her mind. Even as her breathing was shaky due to his closeness, she knew exactly what she was doing, and could practically see the evidence before her without having to touch, or closely examine anything.

"Right...right there," she whimpered in a breathless voice; trying to ignore the barely there turning of her hips. "She was...stabbed, in the chest. The residue left behind seems to be radioactive of sorts, but I feel as if I'm jumping to conclusions. I have no forensic evidence to back up my claims."

"I am your evidence," he whispered; nuzzling his nose against her jaw. "When I'm this close to you, I can place specific markers in your brain that help you think quicker. Think of my as an attractive, breathing Geiger counter."

She laughed and groaned as he once again pressed himself against her. "Why does it..."

"Turn you on?" he asked; smirking and shaking his head. "That is not of my doing. You humans have a terrible time controlling wild sexual arousal, but it's a normal response. Just keep going."

"H-hilted," she stuttered. "Three prongs placed around a circle in intervals of 120 degrees. The blade itself was large, rounded it seems; ending in a long point. Does it sound familiar to you?"

"Very," he whispered; letting his hands slide to her hips as he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Thank you. Now, I want you to stare long and hard at this skeleton. Focus only on the picture before you, and take in every crevice...every detail."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She nodded and complied; eying the skeleton from head to toe. She didn't know what to look for specifically, but once she looked over the body for a third time, his hands fell forward to her thighs and his breath brushed against her neck. "Good. That should be enough."

"Now you're just teasing me," she muttered; grabbing his wrists and turning so she could push away from him.

"I figured that it would make things easier when I tell you that you have to come with me."

"I have a job that I am doing," she growled. "I can't just drop these remains and disappear."

"You could have two seconds ago," he joked, circling his fingers around her wrist when she raised her hand to punch him. "Temperance listen to me, this is serious. The body is imprinted into your mind. My people can recreate the remains for you perfectly after one 30 second brain scan. Please, you will have everything you need at our ship. We will care for you graciously and make sure you are protected. You walking around in broad daylight will get you killed once his pack hunts you down. Please...just...please come with me."

"Fine," she murmured; pushing his hand away from her. "But, please...don't touch me."

"First time I ever heard that."

~*~*B+B*~*~

The tips of his fingers pressed into the censor near her door, before the slab slid open and he was greeted with her still neat room. The sound of rushing water was heard within the bathroom, and he turned to leave her in peace before his hyper-sensitive hearing caught the stray whimper that left her lips. He rose an eyebrow and neared the door to the washroom, lifting his hand to the door, and gently touching the metal separating them before images flooded his line of sight.

The sound of her moans became roars in his ears, as as long as his fingers remained touching the door, he could see her fantasies playing before him. He and her, intertwined as tightly as two people could obtain; forcefully working for the release that was a biological necessity. His hands shook against the cool metal, as his nose picked up the sweet smell of _her_ from within the shower. He was entering a realm of loose control, and he could feel himself stepping backwards into an act that was purely primal.

His eyes glazed as he opened the door, and as he did so the sound of her moans grew even more into a reality. He could see her silhouette through the shower curtain, and his eyes traced the curve of her arched back and perked, heavy breasts, as her hand remained descended into realms unable to be seen. Very slowly, his hands worked away the clothes covering him, and he blinked fiercely; knowing that his eyes had darkened to black in response to his passion.

She was fucking beautiful, and he had to admit, that when this day came, he had no idea that he would be dealing with a woman that brought out a part of him that really was human. With wide blue eyes, an amazing body, and a fascinating mind; she held everything that he had ever sought for within a woman. So primitive in his eye, and so deprived of the hidden reality, but still so brilliant, and so...fucking...amazing.

He growled to himself when he watched her fall forward; resting her forehead on the tiles and allowing the steaming water to fall down her back, while her fingers worked to bring her close enough to the breaking point she craved. He took that opportunity for himself, and stepped behind the curtain; completely silent, and waiting to see if what he believed was true.

He noticed how her breathing had sped up even more, and as if they were one person, she reached backwards; immediately recognizing her other half. Sure, they had only known each other for a few weeks, and their intimacy had grown, but he felt empty somehow; deprived, until he was able to touch her flawless skin. Her long fingers grabbed his wrist, and she fell back against his chest as she took his hips and ground against him. She was wild, and bothered; hot enough and riled to burn through the hull of their ship; floating high in the stratosphere.

"Bones," he had grown to calling her that. He had watched her multiple nights; examining the model his scientists had made for her of the body she left behind; unable to tear her eyes away from the phenomenon that was the human skeletal system. His hand circled around to hold her stomach; his fingers pressing against her skin while his lips placed gentle kisses against her shoulder and her hips clashed against his own.

"God damn," she hissed; moaning and crying softly when his hand fell to gently tease her folds. "Oh, Seeley. I've been so crazy for this. Every single fucking time you looked at me, good God I could practically feel you inside of me; driving me insane. Whether you did it purposefully, or unintentionally, I don't give a shit," she gasped and howled in pleasure; overwhelmed with the teasing pressure of his fingers against her slick core, and the gentle grinding against his growing erection.

Being this close to her; his fingers sliding along her, and his growing cock barely piercing inside of her, he could see everything that had been hidden to him before. He felt her pleasure; felt that wild pulsing in his heart, and could hear her blood rushing through her veins. Every wave of ecstasy that pulsed through her, pulsed through him as well and he growled as her searing hot skin practically burned away his own cool skin. They were reacting with each other; she representing the simple, yet complex structure of dihydrogen oxide, while he represented cesium; a unique and dangerous metal. He could feel the fire. He could feel the sparks. He could feel the chemistry, and it was phenomenal.

In the process of thinking, she had taken matters into her own hands; finally gaining his attention when she slid him into the heated glove of her body, and they both growled in sinful lust. He tightened his hold around her and held his hand against her pelvis as he thrust against her; his fingers dipping down to play with her clit as he worked her towards the orgasm he could feel as well. His lips sealed to her neck, and he sucked hard until he felt the same pain against his own skin. In this moment, they were breaking the laws of physics. They were one, occupying the same space, and feeling the same things.

That was, until he got the overwhelming urge to see her face. With haste, he spun her until her back was pressed against the tiles. His hand rose to brush away the strands of hair falling into her face, while he urged one of her legs around his hip, and once again aligned them. He held tight to her as their eyes met for the first time during this strenuous representation of the simple needs of mammals, but inside of them he saw something other than lust. It wasn't numbers, and it wasn't her thoughts; instead he saw flashes of color. From white to orange to green to blue to purple which dissolved to red, and magenta like pinks. In the end he could make no sense of what he was seeing, and he jumped when she caught his attention by sliding her fingers along his cheek, and bringing their foreheads to touch. He held their bodies close, and slid them together; but while he slid into her, her hands rose to cup his cheeks, and he was met with her lips against his own.

In that instant those colors flashed quicker, and eventually he reasoned that they represented the fact that something deeper was held between them. Their tongues slid together in time with the movement of their hips, and every feminine whimper of hers was met by a thundering groan from himself. He felt himself growing attached, and suddenly a possessive thought passed through his mind that was uncommon for the evolved people of his species.

_'Mine'_

She clenched around him, and with her nails digging into his shoulders; she lurched forward. She cried into their kiss and her body naturally tugged on him; milking him of the seed that was gratefully dripping from his softening cock, and into her womb. Last thoughts crossed his mind, and instantly a specific text caught his attention. As the highs of the orgasms floated away, so did the clear picture of the phrase painted within her mind in his native language. He laughed and shook his head; circling his arms around her wreak frame, while protecting her from any force that dared to steal her from him. In that amount of time, he was human again, and during that Earth shattering experience, her mind had shown him the knowledge he had sought her out for in the first place.

The word 'love' was still plastered in his mind. He could see it written in a future calligraphy known only to his people, and finally the synapse fired.

Locked within her mind was the knowledge that could be used to obliterate evil from their world.

What was the only sure fight against evil?

He murmured into her neck; laughing happily and tightening his hold around her. She muttered something in reply, but the surrounding warmth of the shower had drawn her close to sleep, as her eyes closed against his shoulder. He stepped backwards and she stumbled, but he stopped, and lifted her into his arms; holding her tight to him and smiling as she curled into his chest and instantly fell into a sated sleep. He heard the soft whisper float through his head, and with a final kiss to her head he confessed: "I love you too," before he moved into her bed chambers, and fell into bed with her; overtaken by sleep the second he closed his eyes.


	107. The Artist In The Ambulance

**An: AU for the soul! :D **

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

_Late night, brake locks, hear the tires squeal  
__Red light, can't stop so I spin the wheel  
__My world goes black before I feel an angel lift me up  
__And I open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white  
__They flip the siren, hit the lights, close the doors and I'm gone_

_Now I lay here owning my life to a stranger  
__And I realize that empty words are not enough  
__I'm left here with the question of just  
__What I have to show except the promises I never kept  
__I lie here shaking on this bed, under the weight of my regrets_

_I hope that I will never let you down  
__I know that this can be more than just flashing lights and sound_

_-The Artist In The Ambulance (Thrice)_

If you asked him how he felt before his accident, he would have said that he felt nothing. If you asked him what he thought during his accident, he would have said that he thought of nothing. If you asked him if he saw 'the light' during his accident, he would have said yeah, he saw a shit ton of them.

From the white lights of the car careening towards him, to the red of the brake lights that he saw as his car hydroplaned, spun, and hurdled towards the rock ledge near the side of the road. Then he saw only blackness, and felt nothing but emptiness. He didn't know that his car was crushed, and that he was profusely bleeding from the glass of his windshield that was digging into his veins. He didn't hear the sirens soaring towards him, and he didn't feel the pain as an angel pulled him from the death trap cradling him towards his death.

Instead of the pain of a broken seat, his back was cradled by soft cushions that was rolling him towards serenity. Rain was prickling at his skin and washing away his blood, before he was hoisted into a realm of total light, and the sound of voices barely pierced his subconscious.

Hurried rustling followed the strong voice of a woman whom, had he opened his eyes, would have noticed that she was soaked with rain water. "Vitals are dropping," she stated, as if she had a heart monitor programmed into her brain. "His pulse is wild. Broken ribs, fluid in his lungs. I need oxygen on him stat."

"Yes Dr. Brennan," the nurse at her side assured, pressing the oxygen mask over his face. He fought against the nurse's care, keeping in the scream that came with the worsening of pain the oxygen provided him.

"Ms. Wick, please hold his arm down," the voice demanded again; reaching up and stilling the madly swinging IV drop of morphine hanging from the ceiling of the vehicle. Even though he felt the thin woman try and hold his arm down, it only made his pain worse, and he began thrashing. He could feel his heart close to exploding in his chest, before warmth spread from a single spot in his arm, and completely obliterated the pain from his body.

Cool fingers touched the side of his neck, and in an act of wild exhaustion, he sighed and relaxed.

"Pulse is normalizing," she stated. "What about his blood pressure?"

"Descending into realms of hypertension. Normalizing as well."

"Good," she whispered. "We need to get him scanned immediately. He might have internal bleeding. If so he needs surgery ASAP. Does he have any identification on his person?"

"Um," a high pitched voice mumbled, as he barely felt the young nurse pulling his wallet from his pocket. "His license here says Seeley Booth. Six foot four. One sixty five, no codes posted for allergies of any sorts."

"Hurry up!" Dr. Brennan screamed; slamming her fist against the window separating her from the driver of the ambulance, before she reached forward and gently slid her fingers against his cheek. As if beckoned by God, he opened his eyes to her, even though they were clouded and bloodshot from the drugs.

"Seeley," her voice was like pure silk, brushing against his face and beckoning him towards whatever paradise she ruled over. "It's going to be alright," her eyes held the color of the ocean, and her ivory skin was a shimmering sculpture of beauty. "I'll take care of you. You're going to be okay."

Despite the trauma that had settled over his body...he believed her.

~*~*B+B*~*~

He hated hospitals, he always did. Ever since he was six, and broke his arm when he fell from a tree he detested the sterile smell, the pupil burning lights, and the angry nurses that hate their lives, and take it out on whatever poor soul passed under their needle. But as his hand rose, and he focused hard on the ability of trying to wiggle his fingers, he thanked God for whatever drug was being pumped through his body.

Shadows passed before his room, and even as his ears tuned in to a far away conversation, it took massive amounts of brain power for his high ass to even be able to figure out what the hell those people were saying. Two voices stuck out in his mind though. One, was very familiar; a deep, teasing tone that was easily rooted in strength and velvet, the other, the voice of the gorgeous woman who, despite his pride, saved his life.

"Come on Tempe," his friend Sully chuckled; their footsteps stilling outside of his room. "I need to talk to my bud here. The cops sent me to get his report, seeing as how I seem to be the only one willing to step within three hundred feet of this hospital."

"And for doing so, you must be a complete idiot," her voice chimed in; strong and slightly condescending. "It's an insult to both me, and every medical doctor who has walked this Earth, that you are here asking to file a report on a car accident, when you already have your case drawn out. Cops anger me to no end due to the fact that you guys are simply puppets. You would rather work to kiss the ass of your boss, instead of allowing the victim of _whateverthehell_ drags you here, to have the time and care needed to stay alive and well. If you want a report, wait until normal visiting hours. If my patient, and I reiterate _my_ patient is able to hold a conversation without yelling at the illusions induced by his pain killers, then yes, you can talk to him. Until then maybe you should listen to you friends and leave me alone."

"Dr. Brennan," he chuckled; resting his forearm against the wall and leaning forward enough so that she was slightly trapped between him. "Baby you don't have to play games with me. You love having me around. Just admit it."

"If you don't get out of here in three seconds Timothy, I swear, you will find yourself sitting on the floor with a syringe in your chest, and that syringe will be filled with the blood of my hepatitis patient on the third floor. Okay?" she asked; stepping away from her nuisance and stepping towards Seeley's room. She noticed the driver of her ambulance walking down the hall, and she smirked as she nodded to the man she knew hated her more than his job. "Mr. Longwell, will you please take Agent Sullivan with you when you leave. I'm sure you two haven't talked in ages."

The balding middle aged man growled at his boss and shrugged his shoulder; nodding to the cop and silently walking with him towards the exit. When Longwell believed they were far enough to not reach the ears of the doctor, he sighed, and scrubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes. "I don't know why you like her Sullivan. Are you some sort of masochist?"

"She's hot, how could I not like her?"

"She's the biggest bitch to walk the planet. The only hope for her is if she can roll around in the hay, and not criticize someone for more than thirty minutes."

Though, what Longwell didn't know is that Brennan had to follow after them so she could grab Seeley's files from her nurses. She stilled when the angered driver spat upon her name, and sighed as the familiar sting of pain was covered by the untouchable mask she had perfected over the years.

"Um...Miss...Miss Goddard, can I get the scan results and tests sent out for Mr. Seeley Booth?"

"Sure doc," the smiling brunette with shining green eyes assured. Her perkiness, though not overwhelming, sometimes gave Brennan nausea. No one should be that happy at three in the morning. "Just give me a second, I'll go back into the archives and grab them for you."

"Thanks," she nodded; resting her elbow on the granite under her, before she cast Longwell and Sullivan once last glance. She sighed and shook her head, looking through his report and mindlessly going over his information.

The ambulance drivers never understood the real urgency behind the transport of someone sick or injured. All they knew was to drive really fast. They never experienced the adrenaline rush presented when you have a person that is literally hanging between the realms of life and death that you have to save. They also hated when an actual doctor had to substitute for an EMT. But hell, their hospital was small, and there was a scheduling error. She was the only doctor on call that was a certified EMT, so therefore, she was required to go. Forget the fact that she was bossy. She was a damn good doctor, and the angry words of a balding man living in a shitty apartment, pining after his middle aged ex-wife who left on a cruise to the Bahamas with her twenty-two year old boyfriend, was not going to bring her down. If he had a problem with her, so fucking what. She was the best, which meant that everyone had a problem with her.

"Here you go," Miss Goddard said; extending the files to Dr. Brennan with long, slender fingers. "You've got blood work, CAT scans, X-Rays, and the good old Tox screen, even though I don't understand why you ordered him to have one."

"Because cops are assholes," Brennan said, as she turned her nose towards the information. "And even though he was clearly not the one drinking, they will question him about it. I'm saving headaches with ease."

"Whatever you say doc," she chuckled; sitting back in her chair and turning to the paperwork she was filing before. "Would you like me to check on Mr. Johnston upstairs Dr. Brennan? He's been having severe pains in his legs, and it's keeping him from sleeping."

"Yes please," Brennan assured. "If he's experiencing any pain, up his dosage of pain killers. Also...give him an extra pudding tomorrow morning. I know how much he loves them."

"You got it doc," she smiled. "I'll let him know it was from you. I think he has a crush on you."

"Might as well, seeing as how much he's in here," Brennan chuckled, before she nodded to the young nurse and then turned to walk down the hall. Information was swimming through her head as her heels clacked against the waxed floors below her. She nodded to the stray doctors walking through the halls, and she waved at the few patients that remained awake at this god awful hour. She heard the soft beeping of a heart monitor, and smiled when she stilled outside of his room, before slowly walking inside. He was amazing in surgery, and he was lucky that the small nick in his lungs wasn't as bad as it could have been. All he needed was some monitoring of his cuts and time to heal his broken ribs.

"You're lucky, Booth," she whispered; holding his chart against her stomach as she watched his sleeping face. "You were lucky to get out of that car alive in the first place."

"Do you always talk to your patients when they're asleep doc?" Booth rasped from his bed; peeking open his eye and smiling weakly against the fog over his body.

She jumped at the initial sound of his voice, and sighed when her hand fell from her heart and a glare fell over her face. "Mr. Booth-"

"Agent," he smiled. "Sorry, I know you hate cops."

"Agent," she tested the word, before she shook her head and stepped closer. "Would you like to inform me on how it is humanly possible for you not to be asleep, and have a heart rate as low as you have now?"

"Doc, you have access to my file by now," he chuckled; groaning as pain settled against his abdomen. "Shit...I used to be a ranger. Many times, playing dead saved my life. It's instinct now."

"That's not healthy," she whispered. "A heart beat that slow could present you with a lack of oxygen circulating through your body."

"I exercise," he assured. "Besides, feeling the bandage on my chest, and observing that you were in the ambulance with me, and am now my doctor, I'm guessing you saw my insides...had to cut around all my muscles."

She laughed and shook her head, resting his chart on the table beside him. "High on morphine and you're still cocky," she smirked. "Sorry, no. I'm a doctor...internal medicine, but I'm also specialized as an EMT. We had a little mix up, and you had your accident, so I had to go out and get you. I'm not a surgeon though. Someone else had to cut around all the muscle you claim to have."

"You're really pretty for a doctor," he mused; chuckling and unceremoniously slapping his hand over his eyes. "Not saying that in any...bad way...but, with my experience with hospitals, those tending to me...aren't as attractive."

"The more dangerous your injuries the prettier doctors you get to treat you," she muttered. "It's a part of the healing process."

"Mind breaking a few more bones in my body so I can stay here with you longer?"

"A flirt too," she smiled. "You are a cop."

"FBI agent to be exact. Sorry I can't validate for myself. I was driving home to get my badge. I forgot it."

"Where were you heading?" she whispered. "I mean...before you drove home."

"Nowhere special," he sighed. "It's probably a good thing that I'm lying here in this hospital bed."

He grumbled something she couldn't understand, and as if he remembered that he was missing something, he quickly touched his chest and looked at her with wild eyes. "Where's my-"

"You're medal?" she asked. "Don't worry. We had to take all of your stuff and store it away. You'll get it back when we discharge you. Your medal is in there, I promise."

"I need that back in one piece," he whispered. "It...it's my grandfather's...Pops, he...he gave that to me before I left for the war."

"It's safe," she assured once again. "Now...where were you heading? You never answered my question."

"You're really persistent aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am."

He laughed and shook his head. "I have a gambling problem," he confessed. "Well...I did have a gambling problem. I kicked it for awhile, but in the last few weeks, I've sort of regressed into it. Now, don't get all clinical on me and say that I need help...I know. I know I can stop it it's just-"

"You have no want to," she interrupted; smiling sadly. "I know."

"Addict of some sort?"

"Work," she stated. "Whether that be a good thing or bad thing I don't know. Sure, I keep more people alive, but I kill myself in the process. That, and it shatters my social life and gives me permanent bags under my eyes."

He smiled and shook his head, clumsily reaching out and gently sliding his fingers under her eyes. "I don't see any bags," he assured. "You look tired though. How long have you been working?"

"Eighteen straight," she muttered. "I'm on-call until seven in the morning, and even still, you're a top priority patient. Until the orthopedist is here to ensure that you can move around as much as you feel comfortable, and won't pierce a lung, and I make sure a competent nurse is here to make sure to redress and clean the gashes all over your body properly...I'm not going home."

"Are you always this invested in your patients?" he asked.

"I might be a little more invested than you. Not sure why, but overall yes. I try to make the stay at this hospital as comfortable as possible for my patients," she smiled softly, before her smile fell. "Another self-destructive thing of mine. It makes it harder to let go when I lose one of them."

"Maybe so, but isn't it better to go out in peace, instead of screaming agony?"

"Death is still death," she sighed. "And no matter how someone dies...it's still going to hurt."

"Do you let yourself lean on anyone, when it hurts you?"

"Who is there here to lean upon?"

"I'm not sure, I don't know you that well."

"I just told you my social life is in ruins," she said ruefully. "My life is my work...work is all I have."

"So...when something hurts...you don't take a break, get a drink, have sex with a random stranger...you just...you work some more?"

"Pretty much."

"Alright," he sighed, groaning when his lungs pressed against his injured ribs. "I'm going to make you a promise," he stuck his pinky out childishly, and smiled at her when she looked at his finger curiously. "From now on...I'm your rock, and you gotta promise me this...no matter what happens...and I mean no matter what...if it bothers you, and you need someone to lean on...baby you come to me."

"Baby?"

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I don't really know your name."

"My name is Temperance," she smiled. "Temperance Brennan."

"Promise me Temperance," he whispered; emphasizing the pinky he was extending towards her. "Please...promise me."

"I promise," she assured, as her own pinky rose into the air, and gently curled around his own.

The contact of their skin was electrifying, and he shivered as her single cold digit, gently held against the fire burning beneath the surface of his own. He had no idea someone so warm within their heart, could be so cold to the touch. He had a feeling that many people saw her this way...that they thought she was cool and lacked the basic warmth of a human. He had a feeling that they saw her as nothing more than a superficial robot. How was it that, only after knowing her for such a little time...he seemed to know her better than anyone else?

"Can I amend...one thing that I said before?"

"I suppose."

"You know when I said you were pretty?"

"Yes."

"That's a lie."

"Oh?"

"Yeah...you don't deserve to be named anything less than beautiful."

Even in the dimly lit hospital, he could see the blush color her cheeks. And though their promise had been made long ago; held between them, their pinkies remained, and for the first time, she leaned on him.

"I believe you are the only person you thinks that."

"Everyone else is blind," he swore. "And I would never expect the blind to understand the beauty of the stars."

"How is it that you can be so sweet and romantic, with an IV drip of morphine in your arm?"

"Morphine might be a hell of a drug, and it might screw with every single part of me," he stated. "But, no amount of drugs in the world can change the truth. Hey...I gotta ask you something...Do you believe in fate?"

"No," she whispered; smiling and unconsciously swinging their joint fingers by the side of his bed. "Why, do you?"

"Oh hell yeah," he laughed; glancing down to their fingers, before they both locked eyes, and the distant sound of his heart monitor broke through their spell; alerting them both that in the process of simply looking at each other, Booth's heart had sped up.


	108. Here's To The Past

**An: Been awhile since I've written on the Bones front, and for that I'm sorry. For some reason, I've been drained of inspiration. I hope to better that soon. :)**

**Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

* * *

_Let's all think back on what brought us here  
This is my grasp on what is real  
Don't tell me how I feel  
With all that's passed I can't relate  
With myself from day to day  
Why does everything seem so far away  
To me?_

_There's no turning back from here  
I've got to get away from everyone who's left  
Everyone who's left  
I'll tell the saddest story  
Of how we made it through this past year_

_-Here's To The Past (A Day To Remember)_

"Bones...I'm sorry it had to come down to this."

"So am I Booth," she sighed; her voice heavy, just as her lids were as they tried to hold against the onslaught of tears pressuring to fall down her cheeks. "But...why...why a letter? Why couldn't you just come...tell me, instead of hide behind this god damned letter."

"I don't know," he muttered. "I...I don't know. It just...it felt too personal."

"We are partners!" she exclaimed, tossing down the paper on his desk, and raising her fingers to touch her temples. "We...we were partners...We spent years as best friends, and eventually we grew into a relationship that was more than that...how could you expect this to be anything other than personal?"

"I couldn't let this be more personal than it had to be. We need distance, Bones. We need space."

"Fine," she whispered, turning away from him so she could quickly palm away the tear that escaped her crumbled facade. "Then...then I suppose, this is it."

"I...I suppose so."

"Well, I wish you luck in...wherever you're going," she explained. "I hope you-"

"Don't give me that," he growled; hissing to himself when her eyes widened and gravity worked to pull one of her tears from her eye. "Bones...we aren't some sort of couple; destined to have this fleeting and heartbreaking scene when one of us decides to leave. We agreed only to be partners, so yes, it's sad that I'm leaving to work in Philadelphia, but it should be a simple goodbye, and be done with it."

Her heart was pulsing wildly in her chest, and she tried to cross her arms over her chest to disguise the painful shaking that her body had fell into. Her knees buckled when she stepped backwards, and her lips opened to speak, but her voice failed to make an appearance. She felt as if she was slipping into shock; struck with burning and blinding pain. Her throat was dry, and she was incapable of making any sounds; she was simply destined to stand there and gawk like an idiot. He had long since stopped looking at her, and she decided to use that to her advantage.

The next time that he got the nerve to glance upwards, she was disappearing around the corner.

~*~*B+B*~*~

She had tried to drive home, but she found that with the constant sliding of tears had completely obliterated her vision. She couldn't see anything other than colored, shapeless blobs, and finally decided to pull to the side of the road before she got in any sort of accident.

Her forehead found her steering wheel, and her lips parted as she worked to calm down her sporadic heart. She had never felt pain worse than what was coursing through her now, and she wanted nothing more to do than let go of the scream bubbling at the base of her throat.

But she never did.

She knew she never could.

Her phone buzzed beside her, and she accepted the device as a means of a distraction...that was, until she looked at the name printed before the envelope depicting that she had a new text message.

_'Are you okay?'_

It was a simple enough question, but even in text form could she hear the spite behind his words. The hatred in his tone, and the spitting anger that had grown in the past weeks that she knew was a veiled attempt to try and act like he still cared.

She knew he had stopped caring a year ago.

_'No,'_ she answered with ease. _'I am not. Though, I recognize that this is simply your way of trying to pretend to care. You need not do this anymore, Booth. We aren't partners anymore remember? At this point...we're simply strangers.'_

_'Where are you?'_

_'Why does it matter?'_

_'Because I need to know if you're alright. Do you need me to drive you home?'_

_'I already told you that I wasn't alright, Booth,' _she sighed heavily as her fingers smoothed over the buttons on her phone; typing out her angered response quickly, and without remorse. _'I don't need your help anymore. I have to learn to take care of myself again. So, please, don't come rushing to my side pretending that you care.'_

_'I do care, Bones. I've always cared.'_

_'You, master of emotions, have a piss poor way of showing it.'_

That was simple finalization. She turned her phone off, and tossed it somewhere far in the back of her car. She reached up and furiously wiped at her eyes; sucking in two, large breaths, before she looked over her shoulder, and pulled back into traffic. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheel with the same grip she felt she needed to bestow upon her ex-partner's throat.

She had no idea she could ever feel so much hatred for a man.

Especially the man she loved with all of her heart.

~*~*B+B*~*~

With every knock on her door; her heart pulsed. She felt weak, as she rested on her couch, and wished that she could simply ignore the man standing in the hall. But she knew him better than he knew himself, and she knew that if she didn't answer the door, she wouldn't have a door.

Her fingers slid against cool mahogany, and a deep sigh inflated her lungs. Her forehead touched the door, and reveled in the feeling of freezing wood against her heated skin. "Booth," she sighed; her voice sad and distant; as if mourning a lost lover. "What do you want?"

"Bones, let me in."

"I...I can't."

"Yes you can," he murmured from the other side. "I think we have things to talk about."

"You said yourself we shouldn't play this out into some huge, romanticized scene," she whimpered, letting her hand fall to door knob. She opened the door to him, and rested weakly against the doorjamb; glancing up at him with red rimmed eyes. "We...we voiced our good byes. That should have been enough."

"Bones," he whispered; reaching up in intent to touch the swollen skin under eyes, but in a flash as quick as lightning, she slapped his hand away from her.

"Don't pity me," she spat. "And...don't...whisper my name like that. It just makes things worse."

"Why do you care about this so much?" he asked; placing his hand in the doorjamb to, possibly, keep her from slamming the door in his face. He watched as her face contorted in pure horror, before she stepped back and laughed a rueful, and heart-tearing laugh.

"Booth...why do you not care enough?" she returned. "How the hell...after six years? How can you completely throw away our partnership without a stray thought alerting you that this isn't the right decision?"

"This is something that I need, Temperance. I would have thought that you, of all people, would accept that."

"Accept that?" she asked; whirling towards him with colorless streaks sliding down her cheeks. "ACCEPT...that? God dammit are you blind? Why the fuck do you think that I act 'okay' with this? Why do you think I haven't shaken you to your death, to tell you that you are a complete idiot for breaking us apart? Why do you think I have been standing to the side, ever since we fucked up our relationship last year? You are supposed to be the perceptive one...why couldn't YOU see it earlier?"

"What is there to see, Bones?" he growled. "You keep yourself locked away in this shell of a human. I can never tell anything with you, which is why I have to leave."

"And I recognize that," she sighed; stepping backwards and sinking down into her couch. "I know, Booth and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I can't be perfect...and I'm sorry that I can't be the punching bag you need to follow you. I don't want to let you go...but I know it has to happen."

"You don't want to let me go?" he asked; tasting the words on his tongue. "Then explain to me...why you aren't fighting back? Why aren't you fighting against me, and demanding that I stay?"

"You really are blind aren't you?" she chuckled; reaching up and brushing away her tears. "Jesus...Booth. I am in love with you. Madly, over a celestial object that far surpasses the moon, in love with you. But, I know that such feelings for me have since diminished. Any feelings for me have diminished. I don't fight your decisions, because I want you to be happy. I would do absolutely anything for you...even...even letting you go. So, there it is, we both have finally let go. Your mind is free...you can go now."

"Temperance..."

"No," she cried. "No. Get out. Get out now. You are no longer welcome here."

He sighed and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and she could have sworn that she saw tears in his eyes when he looked up at her. "Will...will I see you before I leave?"

"I doubt it."

Her bluntness was like a stab to the heart. The three words that he had imagined to hear for seven years had finally reached his ears, and for the first time in a year, he felt at peace. The world seemed right with those words hanging in the air, but he knew that such a peace was simply an illusion. In reality, they were standing on thin ice that was cracking and breaking out from under them. There was no hope in sight, so he had but one last line to throw, in an attempt to solidify this world he had single-handedly shattered.

"I leave this Friday," he whispered; sliding the chain from around his neck. "I want you to be there...but if you can't make it, I want to give this to you now."

"I'm not taking anything from you."

"Bones, please," he pleaded; handing over his Pops' Saint Christopher medal to her, and pressing her delicate, long fingers over the piece of jewelry. "We've made a mess of everything Bones. We need to separate, but...there needs to be a line of purity that holds us together.."

"To give me false hope?"

"No...to instill true hope. I will be back, Temperance. One day, I'll show up on your door and I'll be ready. All I ask is that you wait. Give me a year...at most. When I come back, I'll be ready for forever."


End file.
